by Silva Payne

Created on: September 28, 2009   Last Updated: March 01, 2011

Most people are guilty of wasting time at work at some point in their professional lives. For managers and supervisors, being aware of some of the ways in which people waste time at work can help streamline the business operations. Ultimately this will save the company money by improving productivity and possibly by reducing staffing costs.

If an employee does not feel sufficiently engaged with their work, they will quickly allow their mind to stray. If there are physical opportunities for staff to be distracted, such as access to the Internet or optional company-related events or activities, it may become clear that the employee is spending more time on these than on the work they are paid to do. There are 3 ways that the manager can approach this situation.

The manager or supervisor can either control the access to the distractions, increase the work-load of the employee, or a combination of these 2 options.

Controlling access to the activities that are becoming distractions can have a negative impact on the employee's commitment to their job or company. The availability of extra-curricular activities may be one of the reasons why the employee wanted the job in the first place. Negotiating with staff over the amount of access available is the simplest way forward. Stipulating that the extra activities can only be permitted if the employee has no outstanding work to do could be a way to increase productivity as well as keeping staff engaged.

Talking is one of the most common ways that people waste time while at work. No one is suggesting that all employees should work in complete silence, but the fact remains that many people cannot talk and work at the same time.

On production lines, a certain amount of chatter is to be expected as the work is repetitive and often only requires a certain amount of focused concentration. Also, chatter between colleagues who sit in adjacent cubicles can often help break up the morning or afternoon by diverting their eyes from a computer screen for a few moments. However, if individual staff begin to spend more and more time away from their desks, and are seen hanging around the water cooler or kitchen, they may be causing other staff to stray from their work as well.

If this activity is not nipped in the bud it will have a negative impact on productivity. It could also have an impact on staff morale, and chatter and gossip can quickly change the mood or atmosphere in any size of office.

Meetings that are poorly planned are a major source of time wasting at work. Individuals who do not turn up in time for the start of the meeting keep everyone else waiting. Meetings that are arranged without consideration of the attendees work schedules often result in only half of those invited actually attending.

Meetings about meetings should be avoided wherever possible. Chairing meetings effectively can significantly reduce the amount of over-run. Keeping to the agenda and moving the discussions along in a timely manner will be appreciated by all attendees.

What may look like time wasting to some, may actually be a productive use of time by others. Spending time reading instruction manuals or minutes of meetings, or reviewing training documents for example, can actually save time in the long run. Limiting unnecessary activities is a key way for manager to get the best (and the most) from their staff.

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