In today’s fast-paced world, the need for some quiet time has never been more crucial. There are countless interruptions in a day from phone calls, texts, emails, and social media that can add a great deal of stress to your employees. If you want to advance your team, it is critical that you block out time in your day when your team will turn off the noise so they can think and process their thoughts in silence.
Quiet Time is Valuable
If you want your team to make sensible decisions for the benefit of the company, they will need some quiet time to think and process what is going on at work. This means allowing an hour or so a few times a week where team members can ponder the following questions:
-How can I manage my time more effectively?
-How can I increase my market value?
-What would I like to accomplish over the next few months?
-How can I fulfill the needs of my team and manager?
-How can I improve my connection with clients and colleagues?
If you want to encourage your team to achieve their own personal goals and those of the team, then you must make it a priority to block out some time to make thoughtful decisions.
It Promotes Concentration
The constant influx of phone calls and emails can leave employees feeling overwhelmed and stressed. This leads to confusion, poor time management, and less proficiency. In contrast, when employees isolate themselves from these interruptions for a period of time, they are less likely to get burned out and more likely to remain focused. Encouraging team members to go for a quiet walk can help them to regain their focus on concentrate on specific tasks at hand.
It Leads to Increased Productivity
There is no question that productivity is damaged by constant interruptions such as emails, phone calls, and internet browsing. When your employee’s attention is diverted from a task, it takes time to get their mind back in the flow of what they were doing. All of these interruptions begin to add up and lead to a major decrease in productivity. You can tackle this problem by implementing a quiet period where workers are sequestered from these interruptions to focus on the task at hand. Putting time limits on emails or even banning email on certain days can give employees more time to complete their work. Also, establishing no-technology days where team members have to refrain from cell phone use, emails, and internet will not only help them to complete tasks but it will also encourage more face-to-face contact with people.
The daily noise of even a seemingly “quiet” office involves a lot of auditory interruptions and distractions. Coworkers talking, meetings, phone calls, street noise, and copy machines all vie for your team’s attention while they try to work. With so much noise and distraction, it becomes almost impossible for employees to create anything of value. Shutting the noise out and promoting quiet hours can improve your team’s ability to focus and create their best work.