There’s no shortage of productivity-killing distractions online. But what time-wasting activity is the most disruptive to workers?
When employees were asked which online activity caused the most disruptions in their workday, the majority (57%) said reading and sending emails, according to findings in a recent BLR poll.
Searching the web ranked a distant second, with 17% of employees listing it as their top workplace distraction.
Other choices were:
- Visiting social media sites (14%), and
- Instant messaging (4%).
Even though email remains the preferred method of communication in the workplace, constantly checking your inbox can really get in the way of accomplishing more-pressing tasks. Instead, try setting aside specific blocks of time to check email throughout the day.
Example: first thing in the morning, lunch, mid-afternoon and right before you shut down for the day.
Readers, what activity – online or otherwise – do you find most distracting at work? Let us know in the Comments section.