Do you agree with the the fact that being productive is not about saving wasted time or eliminating distraction? Talking about digital tools/technology and productivity at work, the younger and the older generations are referenced in our minds. Being productive at work is about adapting to a workflow that is changing. This shall be more explained via the questions and statements below:
- Do you text, or use social media, such as Facebook, Twitter or Snap-chat? If so, do you check this as work?
- Recent studies have shown the average employee wastes over one-third of the day checking social media, which brings down the average time of productivity.
- The workforce has changed in the last few years as more and more workers have smartphones, tablets and such that help them at work but also impacts their work.
Why do some of us feel so compelled to check our phones or tablets?
- You may think it only takes a minute, so in your mind you think you can check it real fast, and then get right back to what you were working on.But is this really true? Does it really only take a minute?
- Do you think you are productive for a full eight hours each day?
- If so, may have a lot on your plate. Recent studies also have shown that the average employee is only productive for about five or six hours during the day.
You may be thinking, “That is not right. I log into my computer, and I can prove that I work a full eight hours every day.”
This may be true, but you are only productive for five or six hours in this whole time. Not to say you’re spending all your time checking your phone – this may be as simple as going to get coffee, chatting with an employee or just taking a second to think about other activities of the day and what they might look like
- Are people today more or less productive than older generations?
You may hear older generations say, “Back in my day, we did not have cell phones or computers. We had to write everything down, or make sure to have a landline to call and make sure you were available.”
But this change in technology is not that long ago for some, and it is everything that the younger generations have known. So, does this make the younger generation work harder or does this mean that since the older generation did not have this type of technology, things were harder?
- The younger generation may have grown up with this technology, but it does not mean everything is easier. It simply means there are more things; the younger generation has to stay on top of in their workflow, and they have to be faster than ever to keep up.
- The older generation would take longer to get the information, but this was expected as everything moved at a slower pace compared to today’s workflow.
- Today, in minutes you can schedule a meeting, and if you’re not in the office, you can call on your cell phone and remote in to your computer from your home.
Like it was earlier stated, it is all about keeping up with changes in the the work flow for your generation.
