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So how many e-mails do you receive in a day? And how much time do you devote to these and other electronic intrusions?

According to an msnbc.com article, "Blunt the e-mail interruption assault", the average desk-bound worker loses 2.1 hours of productivity every day to interruptions and distractions, largely in the form of e-mail alerts, instant messages, buzzing BlackBerrys and cell phones. And the intrusions are nearly constant. Based on research by RescueTime, a firm that develops time-management software, a typical office employee checks e-mail 50 times a day and uses instant messaging 70 times.

And you know the next part: Time is money. Some experts estimate that e-mail overload can cost large companies up to $1 billion a year in lost productivity. The interruptions pull employees from the task at hand, chipping away at their attention spans, increasing stress and diminishing job satisfaction and creativity.

Then there’s the myth of multitasking. It’s not always the sign of a hard-working, hyper-efficient employee. Rather, science tells us that trying to tackle two or more thinking tasks at once (such as reading e-mail while on the phone with a client) taxes the brain, causes mistakes and can lead to burnout.

So what can you do to slow down the electronic onslaught and encourage employees to step out of their electronic bubble? Here are some suggestions:

=> A high-tech software company created Quiet Time, where the engineers work alone for four hours in the morning, with no message and phone contact allowed.

=> Companies like U.S. Cellular and Deloitte & Touche promote less e-mail use, encourage more face-to-face contact and have developed programs like “no e-mail Friday”

=> Put yourself on an electronic diet, only checking e-mails manually at your desktop and only three or four times a day at prescribed hours

=> Ask your staff to communicate with you by phone and to think twice before sending e-mail unless it’s important that the information be in writing (if you’re only checking e-mail a few times a day, your staff will learn not to expect an instant reply)

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So what grates on your last nerve at work?

It’s been one of those mornings. You overslept, raced through your routine, tore a contact lens, spilled orange juice down the front of your shirt and hit every red light on your commute. When you finally DO get to work, you’re no more than 10 minutes in the door when Doom and Gloom Gary corners you and starts unloading about Project XYZ. It’s at that moment, before you’ve even had your first cup of coffee that you hear those words – the words that could possibly push you right over the edge: “Let’s touch base.”

Turns out, it’s office jargon like this (along with a handful of other irritations) that annoys workers the most, according to a survey of more than 1,800 people by London-based Opinium Research.

Not surprisingly, nearly two-thirds of the workers polled said these
day-to-day annoyances are enough to send their stress levels soaring – and one in 10 left a job because of them.

The survey uncovered these top 10, ‘nails-on-a-chalkboard’ irritants:

1. Grumpy or moody colleagues (37%)
2. Slow computers (36%)
3. Small talk/gossip in the office (19%)
4. The use of office jargon or management-speak (18%)
5. People speaking loudly on the phone (18%)
6. Too much health and safety in the work place (16%)
7. Poor toilet etiquette (16%)
8. People not turning up for meetings on time or at all (16%)
9. People not tidying up after themselves in the kitchen (15%)
10. Air conditioning too cold (15%)

And like a scene from “Office Space,” there’s the office jargon that creeps its way into the conversation of grown, otherwise rational adults. The top offenders:

Thinking outside the box (21%)
Let's touch base (20%)
Blue sky thinking (19%)
Blamestorming (16%)
Drill down to a more granular level (15%)
Let's not throw pies in the dark (15%) ** Now there’s one I’ve never heard before!**
I've got that on my radar (13%)
Push the envelope (12%)
Bring your A-game (11%)
Get all your ducks in a row (11%)

What about you? What gets your scruff up at work? What are your pet peeves? How would you complete the statement, “I’d love my job if it weren’t for …”?

As for my answer, I’ll have to get all my ducks in a row and get back with you.

So what grates on your last nerve at work?

Office etiquette: Tips for “smart” phone use

Business etiquette tells us that answering a cell phone call during a meeting is something highly frowned upon. But what does business etiquette have to say about emails, texts and tweets?

Unfortunately, many people don’t realize that answering an email on your Blackberry or iPhone during a meeting can be just as rude as answering a call.

The chances that you’ll find someone in your office with a cell phone that is simply a phone have become quite slim these days. Along with calling, most of the cell phones on the market also have ability to text, email, tweet and instant message.

Because of the wide-range of tools these smartphones provide, it can be hard for some people to ever take them out of their pocket. For many of the mobile addicts out there, a review of some general business etiquette tips are in order. 

The following tips can help any business-etiquette offender learn how to be more well-mannered:

• Ask yourself: Is it really urgent? Most of the time, a call or email can wait until you’re out of a meeting or finished with an important task. If it isn’t urgent, let it go and check it later. If it is urgent, politely excuse yourself from the room and handle it quickly.


• Don’t touch it. Even if you’re using the phone to take notes during the meeting, your colleagues may assume that you’re texting a friend or playing a game. Simply looking at your phone during a meeting causes people to wonder what you’re up to and diverts their attention away from the presenter.


• Keep it off the table. Whether you’re in a conference room or a restaurant, it’s best to keep your phone off of the table. Keeping it in plain view shows to the people around you that they’re less important than what’s on your phone.


• Lose it. If you find that you can’t get through a meeting or meal without constantly checking for a new message, lose it. Leave your phone at your desk and eliminate the temptation.


• Post a sign. Some people need a clear sign that using their cell phone in certain areas of the office is not allowed. Post a “No Cell Phone Sign” to encourage people to silence or turn off their cell phones.

Office etiquette: Tips for “smart” phone use