Well, this is shocking -- or not.
89% of us, apparently, waste time at work.
For around 31%, it amounts to about 30 minutes a day.
But, for the worst offenders -- the top 10% of wasters -- they widdle away upwards of three hours a day -- that's 15 hours a week -- on everything from idle co-worker chit-chat, checking social media, surfing the web, daydreaming, online shopping and personal errands and business.
The data was compiled from various wasting time at work surveys by TeamShape, the maker of project management apps and software.
Former IBM vice-president and TEDx speaker Shelmina Babai Abji used that time-wasting trending as inspiration for her new book -- Show Your Worth: 8 Intentional Strategies for Women to Emerge as Leaders at Work.
"In order to maximize your achievement, you must focus your attention on your highest priorities by structuring your days around them," said Abji.
"Pay special attention to scheduling the most challenging tasks at the most opportune time for you -- in terms of both the day of the week and what time of the day works best. Personally, I schedule my most challenging tasks early in the day at the start of the week, as that's when I'm at my absolute best. This also starts my day and week off with a big win, because I completed a hard task early, giving me momentum to keep executing my other tasks."
Of course, all that is easier said than done.
20% of workers waste big swaths of time at work because they are bored and disinterested by their job.
7% report no job satisfaction at all and 2% waste time because they feel they are not paid enough.
While pride in your work and self-motivation and good time management can come from within the employee, it is ultimately the employer's responsibility to do effective worker on-boarding, offer interesting work, on-the-job training and opportunities for wellness, promotion and reward for productivity.
The key is setting intentions to say no to time wasters and yes to productivity and follow through, according to Abji.
Some of the biggest time wasters at work -- no surprise -- are checking email (some workers do it 121 times a day), browsing social media (up to an hour and a half a day) and surfing the web and online shopping.
91% of workers admit to daydreaming at work and in meetings.
Many workers are distracted every 11 minutes and it then takes 25 minutes to refocus.
To increase productivity, the ideal cycle is 52 minutes of focused work, followed by a short break that can be as simple as going to the washroom, grabbing a cup of coffee, checking social media quickly, making that short personal call or having a passing collaboration or hello with a coworker.
Employers should streamline email and meeting communications, allowing workers to focus more.
Don't leave your email on all day and check most emails within 6 seconds of them arriving.
Finish an important task then check your email, reset priorities and then focus on the most important task next.
If you're a manager, don't get caught in the 'task trap.'
Delegate tasks that you can and focus on your top priorities.
