What are your biggest distractions at work? - Comparably | Comparably

What are your biggest distractions at work?

Office Culture

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51 Answers

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    Top Employee Response

    Open office nonsense

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    Well, as I work in a college environment, things can and sometimes do change at a moment's notice, and I or we must drop what we're doing and go to another building or so to help take care of something. It's all understood, and it's fine taking care of needs as they come. But it is a big distraction to me. I don't complain, because it IS all understood.

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    Irrelevant, disgusting gossips that colleague do in working hours.

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    Other Workers that want everything their way. Will not mind their own business, always minding mine instead then getting in my way. when the boss walks in they are all of a sudden busy at work leaving me looking like I am not. They were interfering with me before, now all of a sudden their not.

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    Interruptions; not having a solid block of time to sit down and work without meetings, etc

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    Too much life given away for pay

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    Chatty or histrionic coworkers.

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    Other employees who speak too loud.

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    Answering questions on Comparably.

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    Thinking about my kids at home

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    Always afraid the boss will call you in their office!!!

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    me.. myself and I

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    Coworker emotional responses to non-work items and fears/frustrations related to work. General gossip.

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    The phone calls that are unneeded. I shouldn't have to give my clients a status update on their case daily when they haven't completed the required actions.

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    Thinking globally sometimes vs my building.

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    Working under supervisor's influence other than in accordance to ethics and law.

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    Noise and hearing what is being said on radios.

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    I am not easily distracted. The nature of work means interruptions happen. But I have learned how to switch contexts with as little disruption as possible.

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    social media and coworkers.

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    Interruptions from others and gossip.

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    Facebook, chatty co-workers, youtube.

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    I try to focus on my tasks and don’t let other associates chat I tell most to chat at break or lunch

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    Bad bosses, wrong incentives, poor vision.

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    1. Open-space 2. Meetings 3. Open-space and meetings

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    Emails. Emails. Emails.

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    connection and relationship with your boss

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    Social media and unsolicited emails.

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    How poor I am, and stress about finances.

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    The open office is awful. Some people here are just not easy to work with.

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    Other co workers wearing perfume, taking all the time about stupid things like reality TV shows, people stabbing me in the back.

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    People´s gossip because of a lack of good information provided directly by company.

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    Unnecessary emails where one co worker sends out emails asking for money and co workers using food as a weapon my supervisors don’t like me or respect me

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    smart phone, non productive chatting

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    The luxury of working in our environment is that it’s so fast paced that you have little time for distractions

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    Politics, disorganized projects

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    Anything can be a distraction at work if you let it be.

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    Constant racist, dirty, sexist, bigoted, misogynist "jokes," comments, personal attacks, threats made daily by the same 2-3 people, over & over, while not being allowed to defend yourself (or make a sound/facial expression,) or defend yourself or you are in trouble, threatened or attacked.

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    Loud and rude employees

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    Annoying employees that don't do their job.

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    Food and the internet

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    People on their cell phones

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    lack of supervision causes co-workers to gossip and not be productive

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    Other people's work becoming my responsibility.

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    Open office, no cubicles so no privacy.

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    Unclear processes and established processes not being followed.

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    Those around me not doing their job, on personal calls and surfing the net.

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    Unorganized meetings throughout the day. Meetings should be only allowed during a specific part of the day. e.g. mornings or afternoons. This allows a known uninterrupted time-box to focus on getting work done.

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    Animals, cars, climate, lack of instructions, inconsistent performance guidelines.

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    Phone and other people that like to talk.

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    meetings and random interruptions

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    Clique-ish behavior, Immaturity in handling confrontations, Peer Infighting, Divisiveness