Why, how and where time is wasted at work

Nowadays, it is very common to work for many hours, greatly exceeding the 8-hour day, which does not mean that this imbalance "balances" in favor of productivity at work, but rather the opposite.

A large number of factors interfere with the productivity of a company, as well as with the motivation of its team to be productive. These factors limit individual performance, which spreads to normal functioning and performance at the collective level, which is the bastion of war for any company.

<<< Tip: 6 tips to improve the profitability of a company >>>

Why do you waste time at work?

We all waste time at work at some point without realizing it. At first, what would seem like a matter of a few minutes ends up becoming a quarter of an hour, and if we add these quarters of an hour to the week, we come to the alarming conclusion that we have lost valuable time that we could have spent advancing on some project, complete a pending task or run a review.

The answer to the question is not simple, since the reasons why time is wasted at work are different for each individual, depending largely on the work environment or the degree of motivation of the employees. In this sense, it may be not only the worker's fault but of the structural model of the company that imposes a predetermined routine, without novelties or challenges for the intellect.

In this way, the fact that the staff gets bored working in a company is already a sufficient reason to waste time involuntarily, as a way of avoiding responsibilities that do not generate satisfaction. Now, among the possible causes of wasting time at work we list the following:

• A repetitive, monotonous, and boring work routine: if we get used to repeating the same work routine for a long time without variations or facing new learning challenges, we will end up looking for any excuse not to focus on our work, and then time is inexorably lost.
• Do a job that we don't like and that we do purely out of obligation or necessity: it may happen that by working in the wrong place we are less motivated than those who do like their work, regardless of whether it is boring or not.
• Coexistence in an unhealthy or disintegrated work environment: generally, it becomes very difficult to work in peace or establish supportive relationships with the rest of the team if there is no climate of stable cordiality.
• Lack of organization and order at work: although it seems like a waste of time, it is just the opposite. Implementing notebooks or reminders facilitates the execution of any assigned task, no matter how boring and undesirable it may seem. In this way, time and productivity are gained because we schedule each activity for certain times and thus create a daily work plan.
• Lack of objectives: as in the previous case, the lack of an activity scheme in our work routine means that we do not know where to start. This is very common in a first job or at the beginning of a new job when there is no global knowledge of all the tasks that must be carried out. In this way, the simplest activities tend to be carried out first and the most complicated ones postponed. One solution would be to write down the goals for the day, the week, and the month in a manual or virtual agenda.
• Accumulation of tasks that should be delegated to others: no one is gifted or all-powerful to perform all the tasks of a company. We must find a balance and do what strictly corresponds to us and no one else can, but what is not essential for us to do, we can delegate with adequate supervision. This way we will save time at work for what is truly important.
• Permanent distractions: a fairly common cause of losing time at work is not being able to control interruptions that play as distractions several times a day. Unforeseen events arise in every work environment, but we must overcome them by saying "I'm not here for anyone" when necessary and continuing our work as stipulated. Otherwise, we will not achieve the goals set during the day and we will live frustrated.

How do you waste time at work?

Generally, the same causes mentioned above provide the ideal scenario for wasting time at work. For example, a boring routine or working on what we don't like will make us use the cell phone more than necessary with the unconscious intention of avoiding responsibilities.

An unharmonious work environment will, in turn, encourage us to establish unnecessary and conspiracy alliances to "survive" at work, and hinder the rest of our activities if we constantly focus on repressing negative emotions.

On the other hand, the lack of organization and objectives will increase the periods of unproductive time at work, generating lapses of indecision and uncertainty about how to approach an activity, which in the long term can lead to anxiety disorders.

Distractions are usually the biggest causes of lost time since they abruptly interrupt our work and it is difficult to resume rhythm and concentration later. A call or messages received during business hours are a clear distraction. Superficial conversations outside of rest hours also divert the course of our objectives to be met.

Under what circumstances is time wasted at work?

There are various situations or circumstances where we can waste time at work:

• When a company loses its objectives, it discourages the commitment that its employees initially maintained: for a company to survive in the market, first and foremost, it must be clear about its objectives because, otherwise, it stagnates. In this sense, when a company loses its objectives, this uncertainty will likely spread to the team of employees, causing such apathy that it generates low performance and productivity in their activities.

The result of this deviation or loss of objectives is poorly committed and dispersed employees who do not respond to clear objectives on which to operate.

• When a company is reluctant to change and does not invest in implementing new technologies to optimize tasks, its employees tend to lose more time at work and the company in productivity: normally, the most conservative companies throughout their trajectory have successfully maintained the same business model avoid risking their capital by investing in technology. However, to survive in the digital age it is imperative to adapt, renewing old formulas of carrying out activities.
  
  
• Part of this adaptation involves training a work team in the new methodologies to achieve a positive response when executing the usual tasks of a company. For any company employee, receiving training implies intellectual stimulation and a challenge to improve. When new technologies are not implemented and the team is not trained to improve productivity, the direct consequence is to lose more time at work

So far, we have told you, in this summary, why, how, and where time is wasted at work. The first step to achieving greater productivity in what you do is to be able to identify the causes that lead you to be unproductive and recognize the actions that consume a large part of your time.