A study found that coworkers negatively impact productivity in three key ways: 1) 50% of respondents said coworkers' performance directly affected their own performance, 2) 48% were frustrated by coworkers missing deadlines, and 3) 75% had to wait on coworkers to complete tasks. When coworkers are unproductive and miss deadlines, it decreases individual motivation and productivity. The study suggests using project management software to improve communication, collaboration, and hold coworkers accountable to increase productivity.

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RESEARCH
Are Your Co-Workers Killing Your
Productivity?
Credit: Thinkstock
No tech worker is an island. A recent productivity impact study reveals work
efficiency is impacted negatively by co-workers.
Feeling frustrated, stuck and unproductive at work? Blame your
co-workers.
In a recent study by project management platform
provider Taskworld, 50 percent of survey respondents said their
performance and productivity at work was directly affected by
their co-workers; 48 percent of respondents reported being
frustrated by coworkers not meeting deadlines and 75 percent
often find themselves waiting on co-workers to complete a work-
related task.

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Decline in Productivity Traced to Co-Workers' Missed Deadlines
The 2014 Productivity Impact Study, conducted online within the
United States between July 21 to July 27, 2014, surveyed 1,000
adults aged 18 and over, and found that nearly half attributed a
decline in their productivity to deadlines missed by their
colleagues. That decreased productivity also affected employees'
morale, motivation and satisfaction at work, according to the
survey.
[Related: Top Leadership Quality Isn't What You'd Expect ]
"What we found is that people lose motivation when their
colleagues don't perform," says Taskworld CEO Fred Mouawad.
"It's almost a 'viral' phenomenon," he says.
According to the survey, 50 percent of respondents reported their
coworkers’ performance affected their individual performance,
and 48 percent of respondents noted they are often frustrated by
coworkers not meeting deadlines.
Co-Workers' Performance Impacts Everyone
"Their co-workers' performance has a direct impact on their own
productivity and motivation; if others are not meeting deadlines,
are falling behind, then colleagues who are dependent on those
deadlines being met and projects being delivered also lose
productivity themselves," says Mouawad.
[Related: How to Create High-Performing Project
Management Teams ]
In this respect, Mouawad says, behaviors are “contagious;” and
creates a vicious cycle in the workplace. If your colleagues are
underperforming and missing deadlines, it can affect your ability
to do the same, he says. On the flip side, if your colleagues are
consistently meeting deadlines and performing well, it can
motivate and inspire you to do the same, Mouawad says.
Project Management Software Can Boost Productivity
One of the major obstacles to productivity is a lack of frequent
feedback, according to the survey, with 61 percent of
respondents reporting that performance is only measured
annually, meaning the opportunities for feedback and
performance improvements are few and far between.
[Related: How to Use Agile Development to Avoid Project
Failures ]

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“The missing piece to this is the opportunity to hold coworkers
and teams more accountable with actionable feedback," says
Mouawad. Taskworld's project management platform is one way
to improve communication, collaboration and eliminate
unnecessary meetings, ultimately saving time, he says.
"The survey showed that 19 percent of respondents were
spending up to three additional hours each week following up on
the status of projects and tasks, and 75 percent said they waited
on coworkers often to complete a work-related task," says
Mouawad. That delays projects an average of one to three days;
but with an online collaboration platform, some of that wait time
and deadline pressure can be reduced, he says.
"When deadlines aren't clear, when instructions and expectations
are in disarray, that's when projects get in trouble and
productivity is impacted," Mouawad says. "If you're spending
three hours a week in status meetings, you're losing time that
could be devoted to the actual project – and that's why feedback
is so important, too," he says.
When workers know what they're supposed to be doing, if they
know what their progress is and how their colleagues are faring,
they can make continuous improvements. The uncertainty is
minimized, poor performance improves, communications are
easier and faster, and overall people are both more productive
and more satisfied," he says.
By Sharon Florentine
CIO | Sep 11, 2014