Understanding what behaviours and factors which cause employees to waste time is important. Only when you understand why time is not being used efficiently can you implement strategies to overcome this.
Consider the following:
Technology
Technology helps us do things in a fraction of the time, it allows us to do things that are otherwise impossible to do from day to day. While it is extremely valuable, it is also one of the greatest distractions in the workplace. The amount of time employees spend checking their phones each day adds up and breaks down the flow of productivity. Another way technology becomes a time waster is when it isn’t working efficiently. Slow internet connection or slow software updates, failure to set up firewalls and virus protection can slow down an employee’s day drastically.
Lack of motivation
Employees who aren’t motivated are a big source of wasted time. Being motivated to get a task completed means you are going to complete it faster and to a higher quality. If employees aren’t motivated, they are likely to waste time procrastinating and doing anything other than the work they should be doing.
Failing to adapt
There could be ten processes to complete the one task, but only one of these will be the most efficient. Encourage staff to communicate about what the most efficient and beneficial process for completing tasks is and allow adequate time for training all staff how to use this process. Remember that even if staff know the faster process, if they don’t know how to complete this process, the work isn’t going to be completed any quicker.
