In order to manage all the technology and information that forms part of their daily work, most employees have adopted a multi-tasking lifestyle. 70% of employees work in open-plan working spaces, where interruptions and distractions are rife.

 

The impact of digital distraction:

Studies show that only 2% of the population can actually multitask effectively

On average, employees who use a computer for work are distracted once every 10,5 minutes and it takes more than 25 minutes on average to resume a task after being interrupted

It is estimated that interruptions cost companies more than $650 billion a year

Studies show that while working, being distracted by for example incoming calls, messages or emails lowers a person’s IQ by 10 points (the equivalent of missing a night’s sleep and twice the effect of smoking marijuana)

The average employee loses 2.1 hours of productivity a day to attend to distractions and interruptions (adding up to 68,25 working days)

Multitaskers experience a 40% drop in productivity, take 50% longer to accomplish a single task and make up to 50% more errors

The average smart phone user checks their device x47 times a day

The average time spent on smartphones is 2hrs 51 minutes a day

The neurological case against digital distractions:

When the brain is faced with two tasks, the medial prefrontal cortex divides into two so each half can focus on one task. But when a third task comes into play, it’s too much for the brain to handle at once. Consequently, accuracy drops significantly.

 Is your company culture encouraging employees to speak up?

Many corporate cultures are so focused on encouraging discussions amongst employees, that it might be difficult for employees to request quiet time for the fear of not being seen as a team player. Driving a collaborative culture is important, but a hyper focus on collaboration might just negatively affect your productivity rates.

Furthermore, without an awareness of the impact that distractions have on themselves and everyone around them, employees might be less inclined to discuss their frustrations with their managers for a fear of being seen as incompetent, negative or less resilient.

A few tactics to reduce distraction and enhance productivity

For individuals:

Collect information on how much time you spend on technology and how much it costs in terms of wasted time and stress.

Keep your phone out of sight when in social situations.

Turn off notifications on your devices (phone, computer, tablets etc.)

Limit the number of times that you check your phone (eg leave it in a drawer at work to reduce the urge to check it every few minutes)

Identify your most important tasks, and set aside dedicated, uninterrupted time to focus on a single task at a time.

For companies:

Some companies are trying to address their employees’ difficulties managing technology by eliminating voicemail and embracing apps that reward employees who shut off their mobile phones

Encourage employees to pick specific times in the day to check their emails, and to switch email notifications off during the rest of the day

Establish distraction-free locations within the office to help employees focus

When workplace distractions are reduced (for example through training or policies), 75% of employees are more productive, 57% are more motivated and 49% are happier at work

Don’t enforce a hyper-focus on collaboration and teamwork – individual work has a justified place in the high performing organisation too

Implement training programs that help employees to zone out distractions and focus their attention on their most important activities. Training programs that focus on time management, prioritisation, process optimisation and assertiveness will all help to empower employees to address the distractions in their working environment.

Sources:

https://www.ics.uci.edu/~gmark/chi08-mark.pdf

Cornerstone On Demand workplace productivity report

www.offr.com

www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/technology/Articles/pages/why-companies-are-disconnecting-voice-mail.aspx

https://research.udemy.com/research_report/udemy-depth-2018-workplace-distraction-report/

https://www.inc.com/wanda-thibodeaux/new-survey-shows-70-percent-of-workers-feel-distracted-heres-why.html

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