| A. Ask your manager for permission to use his office. B. Here are a few steps you can take to stop wasting time at work. C. Instead, clean up your act and keep searching for ways to be more efficient. D. Give family members and close friends a way to reach you in an emergency. E. Conversations in the office are far more interesting than the work you are doing. F. A messy workplace can make you inefficient even when you're trying to do better. G. This way, you'll get that need out of your system so you can then go back to concentrating. |
We all have days, or even weeks, on the job when our productivity declines. But if your output has been steadily decreasing, it could be because you're wasting time rather than focusing on key tasks at hand.
Turn off your cellphone
If you're eager to stop wasting time at the office, silence your cellphone. Turn on your phone only during breaks.
Organize your calendar
It's easy to waste time when you don't have a preset schedule outlining your days at work. But if you're guilty of not maximizing your time at the office, it'll help to create a daily calendar with blocks of time for various tasks.
Organize your space
If your desk is in a mess, carve out some time to get it organized. Throw away papers you don't need, file essential documents in some sort of order, and make your supplies more accessible.
Build in breaks
Sometimes we waste time at work by talking to colleagues, checking text messages, or surfing the internet because our minds need a break from the constant work. If that sounds like you, then you'd better schedule some breaks during the day but powering through otherwise.
The more time you waste at work, the more your manager and peers are likely to take notice– and that's a good way to hurt your reputation and put your job at risk. Doing so might save you from a busy night.
