What are your employees doing for over two hours every day??

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People are worried about an impending recession. That has changed their work patterns. According to a study by Leadership IQ employees are wasting 44% more of their time than just one year ago. In February 2007 workers in the study (over 6000) reported wasting 1.6 hours out of a 9.1 hour day. In 2008, these same workers were wasting 2.1 hours out of the 9.2 hour work day.

So what are they doing during these two hours each and every work day that you are paying them?

In February 2007, the Top 5 timewasters were the typical culprits…

Surfing the Internet for Shopping (17% of respondents)
Surfing the Internet for Entertainment (15%)
Surfing the Internet for Personal E-Mail (10%)
Chatting with Co-Workers (9%)
Daydreaming about Positive Topics (9%)

In February 2008, the Top 5 timewasters were

Surfing the Internet for Career Improvement (21% of respondents)
Surfing the Internet for Personal Finance (17%)
Daydreaming about Negative Topics (12%)
Chatting with Co-Workers (9%)
Surfing the Internet for Entertainment (7%)

They are quite different and clearly influenced by fears about a potential recession. Mark Murphy, Chairman of Leadership IQ says, “In times of great anxiety, like an impending recession, people can get stuck in a self-reinforcing cycle where they ruminate about their anxiety which, ironically, only increases their anxiety. And of course, this vicious cycle absolutely destroys their productivity.”

Yet there is a solution to resolve this time wasting. Effective managers that set clear expectations and that communicate, listen, and respond well have more productive workers.
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