InformationWeek SMB: Constant Email Interruptions Sapping Productivity
Small business employees inundated with electronic messages produce less and are less creative, according to a new study from Basex. And with email volumes growing at 66% a year, the problem isn’t going to go away on its own anytime soon.
“The research is overwhelming. Constant e-ail interruptions make you less productive, less creative and — if you’re emailing when you’re doing something else — just plain dumb.
Within the heart of your company, saboteurs lurk. Disguised as instruments of productivity, they are subverting your staff’s most precious resource: attention. Incessant email alerts, instant messages, buzzing BlackBerrys and cell phones are decimating workplace concentration. The average information worker–basically anyone at a desk–loses 2.1 hours of productivity every day to interruptions and distractions, according to Basex, an IT research and consulting firm.”