Acts Forbidden at Work

We are always told certain acts that will always be forbidden at the work place. Tim Ferriss, a bestselling author, recently devised a list of 5 not-to-do acts. These include:

Picking up calls from unknown numbers

The reason behind this is that the interruption and distraction will effect concentration and cost you much in time and stress. Secondly, you will find yourself in a poor position to negotiate on the phone. The reason is that the caller is prepared with what he/she has to say, while you’ll have to make up reasons and answers there and then. You can rather check voice messages for these calls later.

 Mailing first thing in the morning and last thing before day end

Make sure you at least check out a task on the to-do-list before you move on to checking your mails. Do this to avoid being distracted and having your priorities disturbed. However, mailing at day end can keep you distracted after work, and disturb your evening and sleep at night.

Agreeing to meetings unless you have a clear agenda or end time

Agree for meetings when the agenda is clear. In case it is, the meeting will not take more than half hour.  You may also demand a copy of the agenda in advance so you can work on it beforehand and plan what to discuss in the meeting.

4    Getting distracted into small talk

People would often come up to your cubicle to speak to you about their weekend at the beach or a sauna they took yesterday. Such small talk consumes big time. So when people come up to you and start rambling, it’s preferable to cut them off in a polite manner. For example, say “I’m in the middle of something, but yeah, what were you saying?”

5     Do not think that work can suffice for non-work socializing

Work is not life; however it is only a part of life. It is very important to socialize and maintain non-work friendship and relationships. Plan activities with loved ones for a good time after work or on a weekend. Non work activities are very good when it comes to motivating employees for work. The life outside the workplace will help them realize why they have been working in the first place.