{"id":37601,"date":"2017-09-11T04:45:56","date_gmt":"2017-09-11T09:45:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michaelhyatt.com\/?p=37601"},"modified":"2022-10-26T10:26:52","modified_gmt":"2022-10-26T15:26:52","slug":"unproductive-at-work","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/unproductive-at-work\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reasons Why People are Unproductive at Work"},"content":{"rendered":"

Take a guess: What portion of the American workforce said they were \u201cmost productive\u201d at the office during normal work hours? According to a recent FlexJobs survey<\/a>, the number could be as low as 7 percent. Many more said they get some things done at the office \u201cbecause it\u2019s not an option to leave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Whatever the number of highly focused workers is, it\u2019s too low. In the massive State of the American Workplace report<\/a>, Gallup found that only 33 percent of workers are significantly engaged at work.<\/p>\n

And a smaller but more troubling number of workers are \u201cactively disengaged,\u201d meaning they \u201care miserable in the workplace and destroy what the most engaged employees build.\u201d As for the other 51 percent, Gallup found \u201c[they] are not engaged\u2014they\u2019re just there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

How does this happen? Why do so many people come into work, day after day, but rarely show up ready to put in their best effort?<\/p>\n

On the Job Blues<\/h3>\n

There are hundreds of reasons that emerge in job satisfaction surveys and conversations with workers. But five reasons really stand out to me.<\/p>\n

1. Workers Aren\u2019t Inspired by Their Leaders<\/h4>\n

Ideally, workers want their jobs to be more than just a paycheck. They want to be playing a part in an organization that makes a positive difference. For them to be inspired, leaders need to articulate a vision<\/a> they can embrace.<\/p>\n

Too often, that just isn\u2019t happening. According to Gallup, only \u201c15 percent of workers strongly agree that the leadership of their organization makes them enthusiastic about the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

2. Workers Aren\u2019t Getting the Communication They Need<\/h4>\n

Inspiration is a good thing, but so is regular communication. Too often, it\u2019s lacking. An even smaller number than those inspired\u2014only \u201c13 percent of employees,\u201d in fact\u2014\u201cstrongly agree that the leadership of their organization communicates effectively with the rest of the organization.\u201d That\u2019s a huge disconnect and a breeding ground for job dissatisfaction.<\/p>\n

3. Workers Face a Blizzard of Distractions<\/h4>\n

At the office, it can seem like everything from email to meetings to drop-ins to social media to ever-shrinking space-per-employee is one giant conspiracy to distract workers, throw them off their game, and convince them to accept less of themselves and their colleagues. In such an environment, of course, it\u2019s harder to stay engaged.<\/p>\n

4. Too Many Tasks Assigned to Workers are Drudgery<\/h4>\n

One secret to productivity is to work on tasks where your passion intersects with your proficiency. I get it. A certain amount of drudgery on most jobs is predictable.<\/p>\n

But companies don\u2019t pay nearly enough attention to the passion and proficiencies<\/a> of their workers when assigning tasks. And when workers are focusing on tasks they consider a grind for most of their workdays, they're not going to be as engaged or productive as they would be if they did more suitable tasks.<\/p>\n

5. Workers Aren\u2019t Getting the Flexibility They Crave<\/h4>\n

Too many workers get up early in the morning, fight traffic into work, try to fit in appointments on their lunch breaks, get stuck staying after hours because a meeting ran long, and then fight traffic again on the way home. The whole time they must be wondering, \u201cWhy do I have to be here? What does this have to do with me getting my job done?\u201d<\/p>\n

According to FlexJobs, 66 percent of workers thought they could be more productive working in a home office<\/a>. Only 2 percent thought they\u2019d be less productive.<\/p>\n

They may be right or wrong about that. (In our experience at Michael Hyatt & Company, where everyone works virtually, they're right. Mandatory office hours would undermine our productivity for certain.) But, right or wrong, the point is today\u2019s workers crave flexibility, and they're not getting it. It's no surprise many aren't putting in their best effort.<\/p>\n

Silver Lining<\/h3>\n

The one bright side to the dismal workplace surveys is that if companies address these concerns consistently, their workers are far more productive.<\/p>\n

In fact, Gallup found that at the \u201cworld\u2019s best organizations\u201d the overall engagement of employees was 70 percent\u2014still room to grow but a whole lot better than 33 percent. That\u2019s the difference effective leadership can make.<\/p>\n\t\t