Distractions, interruptions and crises hurt contact center productivity every day. Here are five ways to get everyone focused on what’s important.
These tips from Your Best Just Got Better author Jason Womack, help everyone cut the number of distractions and interruptions:
- Purge and unsubscribe. Go through all the newsletters (hard copy and online) and get rid of what you don’t read.
- Block your time. Set time each day for checking email and making a to-do list. Create more blocks (even 10 extra minutes) for actually doing what needs to be done.
- Break your inertia. If you’re having an unproductive morning, do some small, tedious things (such as filing or recycling) to get your engine running for the bigger tasks at hand.
- Shorten meetings. If you have the option, reduce every meeting by 15 minutes, or tell those in attendance that you need to leave 15 minutes earlier than the usual end time. Chances almost always are that everything will be accomplished in the shortened time.
- Find your distractions. Do you respond to the “ding” of an arriving email? Do you say yes to everyone who needs “just a minute?” Once you find what distracts you most, you can make adjustments to better use your time.
