10 Ways Employees Waste Time At Work

By Alex Noudelman

Here are ten time-wasting activities that need to be avoided at all costs at work.

© Alex Noudelman

1. Over Reliance on Emails

We’ve all become addicted to emails and waiting patiently for a response. It’s convenient. It’s also a great way to keep an electronic trail of all correspondence. But it’s also a waste of time when we do too much of it.

© Alex Noudelman

2. Gossip

Employees don’t chat or gossip at their desks. They stand up, walk to the break room and get themselves a cup of coffee. As they’re waiting for the coffee to brew they stir up conversation with another coffee go-getter. Is your staff guilty?

© Alex Noudelman

3. Social Media

More and more companies are blocking access to websites such as Facebook and Twitter in order to prevent their employees from wasting work hours on it. But decreased productivity is not the only reason for the paranoia. Many companies fear the negative impact that these sites could potentially have on their business. Bad reviews, less time spent on customers etc.

© Alex Noudelman

4. Writing Lengthy Emails

Brevity and clarity are as important to crafting a good email as correct grammar and spelling. Don’t forget to pay attention to the format and to the subject line. Subject lines should be clear and searchable for future references.

© Alex Noudelman

5. Lack of Delegation

It's a real waste of time to think you need to do everything and no one ever does it as good as you. You'll end up doing too much and will have insufficient time to focus on what really matters.

© Alex Noudelman

6. Client Meetings

Client Meetings can be time wasters if there isn't a specific reason, agenda and timeframe for holding them. If you can do it online via Skype or GoToMeetings, opt for that instead. You’ll save yourself the traffic going there and back.

© Alex Noudelman

7. Reactive to Crisis Management

Have a system in place that deals with crisis before they take place. Acting on the whim and being reactive to trouble will only waste valuable time you will not be able to get back.

© Alex Noudelman

8. Socialization

We all enjoy our relationships with friends. But if we allow ourselves too much freedom in this area, we wind up spending a large percentage of our workday wasting time. Limit socialization to 15 minutes per day.

© Alex Noudelman

9. Staff Meetings

Limit staff meetings to 15 minutes or less. If you need to address individual staff performance issues, do so one-on-one. Don’t hold all staff hostage, while the issue only concerns a select few employees.

© Alex Noudelman

10. Daydreaming

Get back to reality. Grab a coffee to make you stay awake. If you daydream too much, you may miss deadlines and Forget to put out fires before they escalate. Big Time Wasting!

© Alex Noudelman

Thank You For Reading!

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