Solving Procrastination

Procrastination in the workplace is real. Workplace procrastination is a common phenomenon, which affects people at all seniority levels, from junior employees to senior executives, who are working in various jobs, like sales, service, design, research, teaching, and management. This is unsurprising, since procrastination is common in general, with around 20% of adults procrastinating chronically.

People procrastinate at work because issues such as exhaustion and anxiety outweigh their self-control and motivation. These issues include personal factors, like fear and task aversion, and situational factors, like distractions and lack of support.

• Accordingly, common causes of workplace procrastination include the following:
• Abstract goals, for example when it comes to defining what needs to be done and when.
• Feeling overwhelmed, for example when a certain project feels too large to be managed.
• Perfectionism, for example when people want to produce work that doesn’t have any flaws.
• Fear of failure, for example when people are afraid that a failure will reflect badly on them.
• Anxiety, for example when people are anxious about being evaluated by others.
• Task aversion, for example when people find a certain task boring or unpleasant.
• Lack of motivation, for example when people feel that they’re not being rewarded for making an effort or for making progress.
• Physical or mental exhaustion, for example when people are tired and burned out after working too much for too long.
• Resentment, for example when people feel that their employer treats them unfairly.
• Bad fit, for example when people feel that they can’t be their authentic self at work.
• Lack of support, for example when people have no designated person that they can contact if they encounter issues.
• Problematic work environment, for example when people have to work in a loud and distracting office.

If you need to stop procrastinating at work right now, you should identify the smallest possible thing you can do to make progress, and then modify your environment to make it as likely as possible that you will do it. Try these five tips:

1. Connect work to goals

Employers can provide regular feedback and recognize employees for their efforts, and encourage employees to find meaning in their work. Additionally, employers can create opportunities for employee engagement and participation in decision-making, and promote a positive work culture.

2. Clarify priorities

Employers can ensure that employees have clear job descriptions and expectations, and provide regular check-ins and feedback to ensure that employees are on track. Additionally, employers can also provide guidance and support for employees to help them navigate any ambiguity or uncertainty in their roles or tasks.

3. Use goals to fight perfectionism

Employers can encourage employees to set realistic goals and deadlines, and remind them that it’s better to get something done than to wait for it to be perfect. Employers can also provide training on time management and goal setting, and help employees to understand that done is better than perfect.

4. Break big initiatives into smaller tasks

Employers can encourage employees to set a specific time limit for decision-making and problem-solving, and to take action once that time limit is reached. Additionally, employers can encourage employees to break down the work project in short time chunks to keep you from feeling overwhelmed by the big picture. Studies show that taking doable micro-steps helps you realize the task isn’t as difficult as you thought, allowing you to break through postponement and move to completing your task. Although taking the first step can be the hardest, once you complete it, it can get you going.

5.Set deadlines

Employers can provide training on time management and encourage employees to set clear goals and deadlines. Additionally, employers can provide tools such as calendars and to-do lists to help employees stay organized and on track.

At certain times, procrastination affects us all. Procrastination can have a significant impact on productivity and performance in the workplace. By identifying the specific causes of employee procrastination, employers can take steps to address the problem and help employees to overcome their procrastination habits. Then, build systems to change that behavior through rewards and recognition of employees for their efforts and help employees to find meaning in their work.