We’re always trying to become more successful and productive at work. But, busyness seems to be the new bar by which we measure our success. In every walk of life we hear people competing in the busyness olympics – from mums at the school gate to the professional working environment. I can’t count the number of times people have responded to “how are you?” with busy, overworked or stacked. But why has being busy become the new norm and how is it stopping us from being really productive?
Why are we so busy?
Firstly busyness tends to happen when we are in responsive, fire-fighting mode rather than planned and focused mode. This means we’re less likely to be taking the time to consider what is most important. Instead, we are likely to be jumping from task to task, often to respond to the priorities of others. The constant ping of notifications for all the many messaging services we use all day provide a flow of distractions. The latest thing becoming our focus, rather than the most important.
We’re always contactable with mobile devices and an expectation that we’ll be immediately responsive to messaging. People have become used to being able to get your attention. In the past if you couldn’t reach someone by phone you’d try again later. Now, you’re less likely to be called and more likely to receive an email and one or more messages telling you the email has been sent. It’s an overload of asks and our time is filled by having to respond to multiple communications on top of the actual ask. The multiple messages also generate an urgency which can distract us from understanding the relative importance.
5 ways being busy stop us from being productive?
1. We waste time bouncing from task to task
Each time we stop working on a task and move to another we need to take time to familiarise ourselves with the new task and start working on it. This time is replicated every change of task. So you may be reminding yourself of what you were thinking and doing 10 or more times on a large task. Time which could have been spent completing it more quickly and helping you be more productive at work.
2. We are distracted by other people’s priorities
As emails and messages come in we are drawn to read them. This places other people’s priorities higher than our own. Our brains are set up to respond to urgent signs from others – it’s what helps us survive. But, the problem is that in our current work world everything becomes urgent. Even those things which the other person doesn’t believe are important are presented in the same way as the things which really do matter. With lots of different ways to flag something to you, its easy to create an illusion of urgency and importance and some people are masters at it.
3. We don’t have the head space to identify our important tasks
Most of us on starting our work day will go straight to our emails and messages. Immediately we’re drawn into the latest distractions. Taking time at the beginning of the day before even logging in to identify the most important things you need to focus on can be a great way to give yourself head space to prioritise. As soon as the floodgates of contact are opened it becomes so much harder to find the peace and space to think.
4. We feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to start
Once our to do lists and unread inboxes become so long we don’t know where to start, rather than motivating us to do more, it makes it hard for us to even start. Knowing which things to pick off first and which to leave can leave us confused and overwhelmed. It can also leave us task jumping rapidly bringing all the lack of productivity with it. Taking steps to control this noise can help you be more productive at work.
5. We build a responsiveness expectation
You know the old saying – if you want something done give it to someone busy. Well it’s true. That person has built a reputation for being responsive and completing things. This is great for you if you’re delegating, but what about the productivity of the busy person. They are probably so busy doing things to respond to other people that they aren’t doing the things which are most important to them. If you realise you’re that person then busyness is definitely impacting your productivity.
How to be more productive at work?
Making a few small changes can make a big difference in helping you be more productive at work. Try the following and see if they help:
- Take a few minutes at the beginning of the day to identify the most important thing you need to do before you start looking at other people’s asks.
- Turn off your notifications and check your messages at times that suit you. The following links might help:
Manage notifications in Microsoft Teams – Microsoft Support
Manage your notifications in Outlook mobile – Microsoft Support - Unplug from the internet to complete your most important task.
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