Originally published July 26 2005
"Slackers" may be more productive than busy workers, experts say
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
As a rule, employers have little patience for employees goofing off on company time, but The Seattle Times reports that some experts say the worker taking frequent breaks and talking to other employees is more likely to be getting their work done properly than the employee who is so busy and stressed out that they have no time to talk to anyone.
Many working Americans find themselves stretched for time in an economy that requires companies to do more with less to stay competitive.
And as workers are left with more to tackle, some study the office habits of colleagues to see who is being efficient and who is slacking.
"We think of productivity as the ability to do more with less, and that's really a short-term solution to being productive," said Rachna Jain, a licensed psychologist and job coach based in Bethesda, Md.
Good habits such as eating and sleeping well and taking frequent breaks are essential to a productive day, said Carolyn Schur, president of Alert at Work, a human-resources consulting company based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Those foods sustain the body longer than a cup of coffee or candy bar, which can provide a sudden jolt of energy that fades quickly.
And breaks can help those who dread their workdays because they consider them one long task to be completed, experts said.
"To get into the mode in which you do things well, you have to compartmentalize," said John Challenger of the Chicago-based consulting company Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
"I don't recommend multitasking --- I recommend splitting up your time," Jain said.
Another factor is working with a manager who is a good match, said Glenn Mehltretter, president and chief executive of People Fit, an organizational-development consulting firm based in Raleigh, N.C.
"You can only push but so much if you really want to get good performance and productivity out of people," said Michael Kahn, a personal coach and psychologist based in Severna Park, Md.
Some employers have unrealistic expectations about how much time and work they can rely upon from their employees, or spend too much time micromanaging their workers, Kahn said.
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