Whether you love it, hate it, or don’t pay any attention to it, there’s no denying that the Super Bowl has an impact on office productivity. In 2020, human resources experts in North America estimate that nearly 20 million people took the Monday after the big game off. For those who do make it into the office, talking about the teams, the commercials, and the halftime show can take precedence over…well, everything else.
But it isn’t difficult to turn what might seem like inefficiencies into opportunities to optimize your workspace and your workday. At CMIT Solutions, we like to identify those occasions that might otherwise be wasted and turn them into productivity boosters. Here’s how:
Know you’re going to spend an hour talking to your office neighbor or cubicle mate about the Super Bowl (or any other topic of non-work interest)? Spend that hour tidying up your workspace—organizing the piles on your desk, dusting furniture and equipment, updating photos or knick-knacks, and even giving your computer an old-fashioned cleaning with a soft, lint-free cloth. Add a blast of canned air to your keyboard and before you know it you’ll have significantly enhanced the physical environment in which you work.
If cleaning up physical space isn’t your thing, consider performing some basic data maintenance while you chat. This can be limited in scope—plugging your smartphone into your desktop computer to back up those thousands of pictures—or broader, like making sure the files on your laptop match those on your office machine. In addition, make sure you’re performing regular, remote, and redundant data backups. These short-term maintenance tasks go a long way toward ensuring long-term productivity.
The easiest way to start this process is by rearranging and consolidating files into easily identifiable folders. You can also change the location of your downloaded files to have them automatically land on your desktop in a specific folder. Additionally, explore your Sort By and View options to change the way icons are displayed on your desktop—vertical or horizontal rows and grid systems can be your best friend.
This can vary depending on your work habits and personality type, but don’t discount the positive impact that a little distracted time can have on your day. Maybe you want to rethink the way you organize (or write) your emails. Maybe you need to devote some effort toward improving your skills as a manager. Maybe you like to take a half hour at the end of one day planning your schedule for the next one so you can hit the ground running in the morning. Whatever it is, confidently transforming distractions into chances for self-improvement is critical for success in today’s fast-paced work world.
At CMIT Solutions, we believe that these basic tools and tricks can help you boost the efficiency and productivity of your business. Interested in the tips outlined here but want to know more? Have your own favorite method for dealing with distractions? Contact us today. We worry about IT so you don’t have to, and we empower our clients to work smarter, not harder, every day of the year.