We all search for the least chaotic place to work and think. However, your location could hurt your productivity. Here’s why….
When we do our ops strategy calls with our business owners, they expect us to hear everything they say. They also expect quick, smart answers and solutions to their business hurdles. We are not superwoman – clanking plates and people talking is a HUGE distraction. Often we can’t hear the owner’s questions and we definitely aren’t able to pick up on the non-verbal cues.
And then there is the prying ears issue. Most local coffee shops are full of people you might know or might be potential clients. I doubt any owner would speak freely about business issues if surrounded by people that he/she knows. That call becomes wasted time and money. I don’t know any owner that likes to waste time and money, especially when they are trying to improve their life and business.
So before you pack up your laptop and head to a coffee shop, read our 4 solutions to the main reasons for leaving your office. Let our ideas save you time, money, and make every moment of your day productive.
Reason 1: Crave a change in scenery and need to make calls.
Solution: Reserve a call-allowed room in your local library. Don’t forget to say hi to the librarian and look at a few books before heading back to the office. Soak in the calming feeling that libraries provide.
Reason 2: Your office walls are thin and you can’t speak freely
Solution: Set up a space in your home. I know some owners that camp out in their unfinished basement or a large closet and do important calls before they head to work. Who cares where you sit! It just has to be quiet and internet/phone friendly.
Reason 3: You crave human interaction
Solution: You know what to do. Meet a COI or client for coffee. That is the right use for a coffee shop.
Reason 4: You have thinking block. (not writer’s block.)
Solution: Walk out your office door and out of the building. Look up, left and right, and take a deep breath. For home office people, walk around your neighborhood for 5 minutes. Avoid the coffee shop – it is full of distractions that will overload your brain. While you think you are clearing your head, your head is suppressing what you are suppose to think about and screaming for a quiet place with no electronics, no distractions, and just air to breathe.
If you seek help, don’t hesitate to click HERE to schedule a one-time Boost Call or HERE to inquire into our lean, business operations strategy services.
Authored by Jen Goldman, COO’s Business Ops Yoda
Guest contributor, Howard Strauber, COO’s LinkedIn Guru
PS. Want to talk more about how I help businesses make progress and operate better? Click HERE. Want to receive my monthly solutions email? Click HERE.
