busy but unproductive
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Busy but Unproductive?

Have you ever walked away from your workday frustrated with how little you’ve accomplished? You’re not alone. Research indicates that almost 75% of people regularly leave the office thinking that they didn’t complete the tasks they set out to do that morning. These days, it’s common to feel as if you’ve been busy but haven’t actually accomplished what you were hoping to do. While there is more to life than just being a productivity robot that optimizes every second, most of us want to experience days that feel productive. We want to pursue key goals and solve critical problems, and that just doesn’t seem to be the typical experience of leaders right now. 

One explanation for this experience has to do with interruptions. Just take a few seconds and consider how often your mind gets interrupted on a given workday. It’s quite frequently, isn’t it? In one study, researchers from the University of California, Irvine noted that the typical office worker is interrupted or switches tasks, on average, every three minutes and five seconds. Does anyone reading this feel like that is a conservative number? Based on our conversations with leaders, it could be! 

We can’t get rid of all interruptions, and when we really think about it, we shouldn’t, but we could probably all use some tips and tricks on how to minimize the impact of the interruption epidemic. Here are a couple of tactics that we’ve uncovered that might be helpful to you.

Consider Raising Team Awareness
One tactic to create uninterrupted time is to bring up the issue of interruptions to coworkers so that the whole team can be more mindful of how often we drop by, pick up the phone, or send a message. We realize that having this conversation isn’t always easy. Most people choose to bury their heads in the sand when it comes to workplace matters like this and say, “Well, that’s just the way things are.” To get around this, it’s essential to make the conversation about the problem, not the person. For instance, you may say, “I would like to share some ideas with the team about enhancing/optimizing our workflow for better overall efficacy and efficiency,” rather than “Hey! I know you don’t see this, but you blow up my day when you interrupt me all the time!”

Try to Schedule or Minimize Workplace Interruptions
This tactic can take several forms. Here are a few to experiment with:

  • Have “office hours.” For many of us, our job involves being available to others for questions; it’s just part of leadership. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t set aside dedicated time rather than always being on the clock. When we set this up, people know when they can interrupt, and you can schedule your day around those periods.
  • Decide on which mode of communication you’ll use. Not all interruptions are equal. Emails are easier to ignore than other forms of communication. Identify the communication channel that makes the most sense for your team when a matter is truly urgent, and then use it.
  • Ask if someone’s free before getting to what you need. This might seem too easy, but we use this one, and it works! Simply asking if someone’s available before jumping into our request can minimize most face-to-face interruptions or phone calls during concentrated hours.
  • Schedule dedicated time for more complicated questions. This is all about importance and urgency. If a conversation will take time to get through but can hold, push it to a dedicated time to work through it. This way, you can focus on the tasks at hand, and the other person can collect their thoughts.

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Reflective Question: To do our best work, we need to be able to focus. What will you do to minimize the problems of interruptions at work?

Ethos Leadership Group, LLC

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Carol Payne

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Carol joined Ethos in 2020 after working in revenue cycle management and operations for non-profit and for-profit organizations. A natural helper, Carol takes pride in completing operational tasks that allow her teammates to focus on client-facing work. Carol particularly enjoys preparing Ethos’ daily tweets and bi-weekly leadership content for publication.

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Ethos Team:

Aaron Ray

Development Specialist

Aaron joined Ethos in 2022 after working in the behavioral health field in various roles, including being a counselor and an adjunct professor. A researcher at heart, Aaron works behind the scenes and alongside clients to connect them to evidence-based methods to achieve their goals. Aaron particularly enjoys gathering data, synthesizing information, and working with the Ethos team to meet clients’ needs.

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“Ethos was a true consultative partner in our strategic planning process. They listened to our organization’s feedback and were flexible in incorporating modifications into the process in a way that demonstrated they valued our organization’s culture and history. In addition to walking alongside us every step of the way, Ethos’s facilitation skills are top-notch. They helped move the conversation forward during critical breakthrough moments while ensuring everyone felt heard and valued. Several of our board members commented that it was the best strategic planning process in which they had ever participated. I can tell Ethos has a passion for helping clients move forward in a positive direction and this positive energy was highly evident in our experience working with them. We weren’t just another client but rather, we were a valued partner in the work!”

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David Ray - Ethos Leadership Group

Ethos Team:

David Ray

Owner

In 2017, David joined Ethos after leading and advising in the non-profit sector. An organizational troubleshooter and natural synergist, David leverages his analytical and relational skills to help clients take their business and team to their desired next level. With a passion to see others live and lead well, David enjoys connecting leaders to evidence-based practices to boost leadership capacity, build human capital, and improve organizational performance. David particularly enjoys working with clients through strategic planning, executive coaching, and team development.

Fast Facts:

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Rebekah D. Mathis-Stump, J.D.

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Becky joined Ethos in 2009 after leading the daily operations of five distinct work teams over a ten-year period. An analyst and solution-generator by nature, she works with clients to identify their needs and develops a plan of action to reach their desired results. Having worked in numerous disciplines in her career, Becky brings a broad range of knowledge and experience to our clients. Becky particularly enjoys working with clients on organizational audits, strategic planning, employee training and coaching, and governance.

Fast Facts:

  1. Lived in numerous states growing up, finally claiming West Virginia as home after marrying a native son, Jeff Stump
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As our Founder, James encourages us to dream bigger dreams and mentors us to achieve them. James brings this same passion to our clients, skillfully blending inspiration with practical application in his work. James’ primary areas of expertise include leadership and fundraising.

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