The Single Biggest Enemy of Workplace Productivity

Enemy

If you asked 100 people what keeps them from accomplishing their goals, completing tasks at the office, etc., I imagine you’d hear answers like “procrastination”, “interruptions” and the like. And while those things are definitely formidable foes in their own right, I believe there’s a single object that, for all the benefits it brings, hampers our overall effectiveness more than any of the aforementioned, abstract notions.

This object is one that veils itself in a shroud of almost magical power. It can take you around the world, show you things you’ve never dreamed of seeing, teach you just about anything you could possibly want to know - and even tell you when your prescriptions are ready to be picked up…

I’m talking about your computer.

If you’re still reading, you either can’t believe how full of crap I am or, on some level, agree with what I’m saying.

Some of you are probably thinking “well, it’s not the computer itself that’s causing the problems, it’s what you’re doing with it”. While that may be true, the people trying to outlaw talking on the phone while driving don’t say that cell phone conversations cause accidents. Stay with me, here…

I know that, for me, it comes down to the amount of effort it takes me to find something to do other than what I should be doing (actual, employer-sanctioned work). While working on my TPS reports, say I get a bit frustrated or annoyed at them and decide I want to be a loaf for awhile instead. With no more than a few keystrokes, I can be reading about what’s new and exciting on the web (or off the web). Or I can check my feed reader to see if anybody’s published anything new in the last hour or so. The list could go on for an eternity.

The problem is that, other than my own force of will, I don’t have many tools at my disposal to counteract this sort of thing. Sure, I could uninstall Solitaire, close my browser or kill the instant messaging application (and I do routinely use those last two for work-related stuff), but ultimately it comes down to my deciding that I’m not going to be distracted. And I’ll tell you right now, that’s not an easy decision for me.

Productivity comes down to changing of habits and attitudes. I guess I just need to actually do some of that :)


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April 17, 2007 | Filed Under Distractions, Productivity, Work 

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4 Responses to “The Single Biggest Enemy of Workplace Productivity”

  1. mike on April 17th, 2007

    I’ll be one of those who agrees 100% with you. This is my single biggest problem (exhibited, naturally, by my reading this post and responding to it, rather than doing the work I came in early this morning to do). Now, sure, I found ways to goof off before computers and the Internet became so prevalent, but it sure is a lot easier to indulge my inner distraction seeker, thanks to this high technology.

  2. Jon Aston on April 17th, 2007

    You need to check out a lovely little app called “Temptation Blocker”. 2005-Aug-02 “Download of the day over at lifehacker…
    http://lifehacker.com/software/downloads/download-of-the-day-temptation-blocker-115429.php

  3. Futzy on April 17th, 2007

    I’m retired now, couldn’t stand the ratrace anymore. But worked with/on/for computers for 38 years. Started out repairing machines that had tubes in ‘em. I’ve seen everything get faster, smaller, hotter, fancier and “more productive” over and over again. I’m also a social scientist and a believer in the Dystopian school of thought (e.g. Jeremy Rifkin).
    We’re still actually doing the same tasks, we’re just doing them in a way that provides an income for the hoards of system support (i.e., I/T, I/S, etc.) departments that have become necessary evils. From ledgers to punch cards (remember 5080s?) to source files to databases, and from pencils to mice - every business that’s expanded to server a growing population has had to add overhead in personnel (with their attendant hardware and software and cellphones and beepers … ).
    I don’t think it’s all bad just overly complicated. How long did it used to take to learn the TOOLS of the task? A pencil - about 5 seconds - and if it broke it was easy to repair - worked the same around the world - no translation required. Today anyone using a computer-based tool needs much more education and, typically, ongoing updates as it evolves. Not to mention that they become instantly non-productive the instant it stops working - for a varying amount of time, sometimes days. I hate the fact that users now spend way too much time learning the tools rather than doing the job.
    Sigh.

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