Getting the most out of your employees is undoubtedly a top priority as a business owner. However, it is challenging to achieve this when your workers are always distracted. According to a 2018 Udemy survey, distracted employees cost American businesses more than $650 billion annually. Fortunately, there are many steps you can take to make your staff more focused at work. Whether you are operating a small startup, a medium-sized enterprise, or a large corporation, here are four sure ways to lower distractions in your business.
Reduce noise
Research shows that about 52% of employees are interrupted by noise more than five times in a single working day. Noise is a significant productivity killer since your staff will struggle to focus and get enough work done. Consequently, it would be best to create a comfortable and quiet workplace to ensure that your staff remains as focused as possible. For starters, you can establish guidelines on noise levels in the workplace to make workers aware of the need to keep it down. Also, consider investing in private workspaces like a Loop office phone booth to prevent employees from distracting others. Finally, give your workers a dedicated room for collaborations, so team discussions don't bother other colleagues.
Allow remote working
Letting your employees work remotely might be a huge change to embrace, but it can work wonders for lowering workplace distractions. Several workers are more comfortable and focused in local coffee shops or private home offices than in a noisy office. Therefore, give your workers the chance to work from home if possible. Many employers think that remote working lowers workplace productivity, but this is far from true. Your staff may end up completing more work if you allow them to do so where they want. Nevertheless, remember to equip them with the best tools to enhance remote collaboration for the best results.
Avoid unnecessary meetings
Meetings are a vital part of conducting business, but they can be a major distraction for employees who prefer to finish assignments or work on their projects instead. Indeed, a survey conducted by Korn Ferry revealed that 67% of workers say too many meetings distract them from doing their best work. Therefore, while you cannot eliminate meetings from your schedules, you can significantly limit their frequency and lengths to ensure that employees spend less time in them. Additionally, many meetings are unneeded and can be better handled via other methods. Therefore, hold meetings for vital issues only, and use direct notifications or mass emails to inform workers about important company guidelines and news.
Limit technology interruptions
It is no secret that enterprises are increasingly reliant on technology to remain relevant and competitive. However, technology can be a major distraction if you let it be. For instance, almost every app and tool wants to send you notifications these days. However, these notifications can constantly distract you from tasks you are focusing on, so consider doing a notification audit to restrict certain apps and tools. Also, it would be best to hire an IT team to handle your internet and other technical problems, so your workers aren't distracted by them.