The fifth timewaster is socializing with other people. Most people work below their capacity. The water cooler effect is very prominent. Have you ever seen that in your office? There are certain people who spend a lot of time just wandering around, chatting. Every notice that? Maybe you are one of them?
Most people work below their capacity and so they waste your time and/or their time by hanging out and socializing. Socializing is good, there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s building rapport, it’s growing the team, it’s strengthening things. Yet you sometimes have to excuse yourself from the situation so it does not chew up your time.
A very effective strategy that I heard a number of years ago from Earl Nightingale, he said, “If I’m working in a situation and someone comes up to talk to me, and I need to move on with what I’m doing, I just look at my watch and say, “Gosh, I really enjoyed talking to you—but it’s time to get back to work.””
That phrase “time to get back to work” is like magic. Because if they hold you up, that means is they’re stopping you from getting done what you need to do. Most people don’t want to feel responsible for that. You need to say that because it takes care of you. Or you can set up another time to see them.
Here’s another way to determine if socializing has gotten in the way of your productivity. If you’re standing talking to someone, and you’re discussing something or chatting, just ask yourself the question, “If my boss was standing right beside us listening to us, and watching what we’re doing, would I still keep doing this?” My guess is that quite often you wouldn’t. If it’s not a “yes”, then you need to “get back to work”.