Publication number: ELQ-32113-1
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How to Counter The "I'm Too Busy" Syndrome At Work
7 Ways To Counter The “I’m Too Busy” Syndrome At Work
Introduction
I’m sure you know a few people at work who are always “too busy,” but never seem to get much done. For many of these, it’s an excuse to decline new work, impress others, or gain sympathy. For others, it’s a legitimate complaint, indicative of being out of control or not managing their time. If you find yourself in this category, you need to focus on techniques to improve your productivity
On software teams, for example, a detailed study published years ago shows differences as great as ten to one in productivity between comparable team members. In fact, in my own business experience, I have found that team members who proclaim to be the busiest often are the least productive, producing the fewest results. In business, for me, the only thing that counts is results.
People will tell you quickly about all the external factors lowering productivity, including toxic office environments, motivation, and personal health problems, but I believe there are positive work habits that can more than compensate for these. As I outline key ones in my coaching practice, I find that many people have never tried them and even find them counter-intuitive:
- Step n°1 |
Stop multitasking and focus on the task at hand.
Many people think they can improve their productivity by working faster and doing multiple things concurrently. In fact, constant task switching and rushing yourself kills efficiency and leads to many errors, requiring rework. In most cases, you can increase your productivity by slowing down.
- Step n°2 |
Capitalize on deadlines to maintain a sense of urgency.
When your time on an important task is limited by a deadline, the urgency created will overcome your urge to procrastinate. If there is no deadline, it pays to impose one on yourself. Your competitive drive for success will cause you to dive in with more energy and not be easily distracted.
