Whittle While You Work

-- Olympic challenge for employers that summer keeping their staffs focused on work even in the games have been going on. It's part of a larger problem exacerbated by the availability of just about... See More

-- Olympic challenge for employers that summer keeping their staffs focused on work even in the games have been going on. It's part of a larger problem exacerbated by the availability of just about everything online. ABC news small business contributors seasons Olympic is here with ways that employers can cut down on all the distractions. -- isn't great to see you hi -- it's great to be here thanks obsessive use distractions are really costing businesses a lot of money is that right. It absolutely as you know you really don't think about it because it just kind of the way the day goes when your work environment. But the average desk worker worker -- loses over two hours of productivity because of worker distract disruptions. Now that doesn't sound like a whole lot maybe but it is now it's up to one billion dollars. Of lost revenue for companies took a serious problem hits your bottom line. Absolutely. So you have some suggestions and one of those. Is to establish a quiet. Time now in a workplace setting what does that entail. What do you think about it I don't know how you -- whenever you have a major project during deadline sometimes you just need to get off by yourself and really focus on that one product project. That's when I'm talking about here. A time during office work hours that is truly a quiet time so. No phone calls no emails your focus on work and maybe there's no music in the office. In fact some companies -- -- example Intel actually have a mandatory for our quiet time. During the workday for their software engineers so if you can orchestrate that it's a really good way to keep people focused. So you can really say don't take any phone calls during this time -- -- on the computer just focus on the project get the job done absolutely. -- right now. There are so many distractions discussing silent on the Internet based online shopping site live sporting events -- -- Asia code. Everything I mean everything what else can employers do to keep people from wasting more time online. Well when it comes to Internet usage the first thing every employer should -- you should have an Internet usage policy. And your employees should be aware of that so they should know. What's permissible what's not and what's a reasonable amount of time that you can stand on the Internet doing things other than your work doing research for your work. So it but in some cases employers particularly larger companies. Had actually -- they created fire walls to certain web sites and social media type things but. Now days with Smartphones and mobile devices that sort of defeats the purpose. So you know usually it's a reasonable standard communicated tier employees but you also have to make sure that your employees understand that there are consequences for abuses. So if that's termination whatever it may be probation. -- you're not qualified for a bonus but they're definitely needs to be some teeth -- that policy. Apps aren't so what are outlets in house distractions things workers such as one. If you will are spent -- day gossiping. Should be working. Well this is where you with the worker have to take control the situation so the first thing is hate sharpen up your time management skills. You know for example in. Itself and as self imposed own time restrictions on yourself for example you're only gonna look at emails -- -- times -- day return phone calls at certain times of the day. Make your priority list in the morning when you get to the office and make sure those. Really must do things are done before you participate in any of that stuff actually and one employee when I was in corporate America. That every morning would get her coffee walking in my office sit down and just start talking. So I kept a file on the edge of my -- -- are coming I would pick it up in -- I'm sorry I was just believing he had to define your own ways to deal with it some of them do like little things to ward off drop -- by putting -- police tape over their complete cubicle. Or maybe they put headphones on until looks like they're really absorbed in their work -- -- ways to communicate that says you know I'm trying to get my work then leave me alone had -- -- -- -- -- -- -- Zelnick ABC news small business contributor thank you for joining us thank you Tanya.