Top 10 Factors That Affect Productivity and What to Do to Overcome Them

Productivity at work is an important factor that influences the success of a business. When employees are productive, they are able to complete tasks efficiently and generate better results, leading to more opportunities at work and greater job satisfaction.

However, there are many factors that affect productivity at work. It is important to be aware of these factors in order to identify potential solutions and improve your overall performance for success and satisfaction at work.

Why is it Important to Improve Productivity at the Workplace?

A common question of managers and workers is how to increase the productivity of individuals at work. Few realize that the seemingly little or ordinary things in your daily life are in fact significant because they drain your energy, decrease your motivation, and distract you and lead to procrastination.

Internal factors such as bad personal habits and external factors such as your surroundings can have a significant negative effect on productivity at work, ranging from decreased concentration and slow task completion to problems with interpersonal relationships.

The constant influence of these negative factors could affect your work performance and thus lead to repercussions in terms of missed promotions and job opportunities.

In order to increase your personal productivity at work, first identify what some of these factors are and discover what steps you can take to overcome them and lead to a more productive you.

Top 10 Factors That Affect Workplace Productivity

1. Daily commute

Commuting to work makes employees miserable, according to a study by the UK’s Office for National Statistics (ONS). Each minute spent traveling to the office, often while enduring long lines, traffic, and profuse sweating, adds to the anxiety employees suffer while thinking about impending tasks and deadlines.

What to do: While the same ONS report revealed that those who drive to work suffer from less anxiety and are generally happier, driving is a problematic option nowadays given high global fuel prices, traffic, and environmental pollution.

Many Filipinos turned to bike commuting during the pandemic as a way to get around. Now that more businesses are requiring face-to-face presence, they have stuck with biking as a less expensive, healthier, and “greener” alternative to driving cars or taking public transportation.

But if you live too far to bike, or are unable to, and need to ride the bus or rapid transit railway, consider leaving the house earlier to avoid traffic. Make your travel time worthwhile by listening to an audiobook or business podcast, catching up on emails, or tweaking your work presentation.

You can also consider working from home for zero commutes and more time for yourself and family!

2. Social media

Upon arriving at the office, we can become distracted by many things, one of which is social media. It’s a productivity killer.

A Microsoft study of social media use at work found that office workers who access social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram experience four interruptions per hour of work. These interruptions can last from a couple of minutes to less than an hour. What’s worse is that the interrupted tasks are not immediately resumed. In fact, the study points out that on an average, it takes 23 minutes for a worker to get back to the assigned task.

What to do: At the office, resist the urge to open any social media site. You may not notice it, but the time you spend on social media distracts you from getting things done. If you use social media for work, make sure to focus only on work-related tasks and not personal purposes.

3. Unnecessary meetings

“This could have been an email!”

Unnecessary meetings can take time away from our tasks and make it difficult to stay on schedule.

Such meetings can cause additional stress, take away focus, and lead to frustration and burnout. When meetings are held without any real purpose or value, they can be a waste of everyone’s valuable time.

What to do: Make sure to hold meetings only when the work won’t proceed or a decision can’t be reached otherwise; when there is a real need to discuss issues in a collegial setting; and when the outcome can affect the organization in a meaningful way. Stick to the agenda and limit meetings to a definite time frame.

4. Loud colleagues

An office workplace productivity study commissioned by Ask.com showed that 61% of the U.S. employees surveyed agree that loud colleagues are the biggest office distraction.

Talkative and noisy co-workers waste their time and yours. Other colleagues may distract you when they play music loudly on their speakers.

What to do: When cornered by the office gossipmonger, make an excuse (such as a looming deadline) and then walk off. If someone plays loud music, politely ask them to use earphones. Put yours on too (with or without music playing) to show others that you are busy and don’t want to be disturbed. Ask the HR manager to draw up and implement a set of workplace rules and guidelines on the matter to prevent toxic workplace behaviors.

And if you’re the loud colleague (be honest), make an effort to change your habits and focus on your work, rather than distracting your officemates. While socializing on the job has benefits for morale and team bonding, if taken too far it can be distracting and lead to decreased productivity.

5. Lack of communication

While the office ‘marites’ is monopolizing your attention and perhaps sharing too much information, at the same time there could be a problem with workplace communication that is affecting the flow of work among team members.

Lack of, or poor quality, communication leads to misunderstandings and poor coordination between team members, eventually resulting in lower productivity.

What to do: If you are frustrated with the poor communication at work, analyze the situation first. Is it a matter of the team not knowing what the goal or purpose of their efforts is? Is management not transparent about matters that affect the project? Talk to team members about their experiences and list down your own.

Once you have determined what the problem is, speak to your manager about your concerns. Tell them that better communication among team members will ease the situation and help the job get done faster and better.

6. Lack of planning

If you don’t have a regular work routine, you’re more likely to waste time and get distracted, leading to decreased productivity. Some people tend to clear the easy things first and leave the hard things for last, but get bogged down when they run into snags. Others who do tasks according to whim, may fail to meet deadlines.

What to do: Learn to prioritize your tasks. What’s most important? What needs to be done first to meet deadlines for particular projects? Plan your tasks accordingly in order to meet goals and targets.

Determine what productivity tool works best for you. Some prefer analog versions such as a paper planner, while others prefer the convenience of a digital planner. Explore various options till you find one or two that you like. To make this work, be sure to update your planners regularly and use them to guide your work day.

7. Multitasking

Multitasking may seem like a productive thing to do – “Look, I’m getting a lot of things done at the same time!” -- but it often does more harm than good. Trying to do too many things simultaneously can lead to a decline in work quality due to lack of concentration and focus. This factor is also related to poor planning.

What to do: Try “single-tasking” – doing one thing at a time before moving on to the next. Make a list of the tasks that need to be done for the day. Don’t overwhelm yourself and just keep your list to three to five tasks. Get them done one by one. If you are running multiple projects, consider using a task management app to stay on top of things.

8.  Cluttered workspace

You’ve probably heard people quote “an empty desk is the sign of an empty mind” to justify their messy desks. But the reason quality management systems like ISO recommend having a clean desk at the end of the workday is because an organize workspace leads to higher productivity. You waste less time looking for documents and office supplies when things have their place.

What to do: On a slow day, or at intervals during busy days, clear one or two unnecessary items off your desk. Set up a filing system for your documents. Bring in a box for your office supplies. Maintain a clean desk. This goes for your desktop too – the files in your computer. The effort will pay off in time saved and greater productivity.

9. Poor fitness level

Factors that affect productivity are not only external. At the end of the day, determine whether you are taking good care of yourself or not. Your physical and mental wellbeing play important roles in your health, and consequently your performance and productivity.

What to do: First, check your diet. Brigham Young University researchers found out that “employees with unhealthy diets were 66% more likely to report productivity loss compared to healthy eaters.” Ditch the fast-food and choose fresh-cooked food with vegetables and legumes, lean meats, and whole grains. The World Health Organization estimates that adequate nutrition could raise national productivity levels by 20%. This figure is too hard to ignore.

How’s your physical condition? Are you doing enough exercise? A simple daily walk helps burn calories and elevates mood.

Next, assess your mental health. Are you feeling burnout, frustration, or severe stress, and are they affecting your performance at work? Take steps to address these by taking days off, or even a vacation. Take up a hobby or sport. Spend more time with friends and family. Do the things that make you relaxed, comfortable, and calm.

10. Lack of sleep

Your tendency to make mistakes increases without enough sleep and you’ll find yourself easily distracted and irritated even by the smallest things. The restorative power of sleep boosts physical and mental functions including your mood, your concentration, and your overall ability to perform tasks.

What to do: Get enough sleep! While 8 hours seems to be the magic number, other studies suggest that 6 to 7.5 hours of sleep is enough. Most likely, you already know how much sleep you need for a productive day at the office. Set an alarm for your optimal sleep time. Half an hour before, turn off all screens and wind down with a book or light music. Others light incense and meditate. Make sure your bed and beddings are clean and comfortable. Find whatever relaxes you and practice it for restful sleep.

Develop a More Productive You

You have control over your productivity levels at work. With judicious planning, careful time management, and constant self-discipline, distractions won’t derail your focus and you’ll be on your way to more productivity at work and improved performance.

Find Jobs That Will Make You Feel Productive

It’s okay to look for better opportunities where you will be more productive and satisfied with your career path. Start by creating or updating your profile at JobStreet.#SEEKBetterjobs by updating your resume now with our resume templates and find the job that sets you on the career path to fulfillment and success.

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