10 Mistakes that Kill Focus & Concentration For Procurement Teams

Randall Mauldin
03-25-20 11:12 PM Comment(s)

When your procurement teams operate in a virtual environment, focus and concentration on high priority tasks can be difficult. Supply chain management is a critical operation during times of crisis because the sourcing activity feeds your organization with resources required to deliver products and services to customers.

Review the procurement infographic below to avoid the 10 mistakes that kill focus on concentration for your procurement teams.

Click here to get 10 Best Practices To Improve Focus for procurement teams operating in a virtual environment. Plus you get other free resources you can use to maximize your productivity.

https://cpsmtraining.com/maximize-procurement-productivity/.

10 Mistakes that Kill Focus & Concentration

Ignoring Clutter - Letting clutter build up and not dealing with it regularly. This includes your inbox! Since you're working virtually, you're most likely getting more emails than usuals from stakeholders and vendors. Organize your inbox with folders, then use filters to automatically sort your email. Then set aside time on your to-do list to manage each folder.

Multitasking - Multitasking when you should be focused on one task only. Multitasking is a myth! Don't do it. Use your to-do list to focus on one thing at a time.

Interruptions - Letting interruptions stop you from the task at hand. Turn off your phone, turn off notifications on your computer, and use a kitchen timer to control focused work.

Imbalance - Poor work-life balance. Schedule time for your family and tell them when you are available for family issues. Maybe lunch, maybe the end of the day, no matter which time is best, schedule it! Or your family will assume they have priority which they do, but you have a job to do.

Lack of Planning - Failure to plan how to go about a task. Take the time to plan each task before you begin with a simple outline of what you need to do. This helps you not only know what actions must be accomplished but also where to start again if you're interrupted.

Over Complication - Using multiple calendars. Keep one calendar with all your appointments. Include appointments for your to-do list, so other things cannot fill space you 'thought' would be available for actual work. This is especially important for shared calendars where people can schedule your time if you have open space on your calendar.

Neglecting Tools - Trying to organize your life without the help of productivity tools. Leveraging technology to simplify and automate things. For example, an email inbox can be organized with folders and automatic filters can separate your email for you.

Over-Availability - Being too available all of the time. Schedule your work time as well as your person-to-person meetings. Turn off your phone ringer and smartphone notifications. If people feel they can contact you anytime, they will. Use a message that tells people when you will call them back, such as "Hello, I'm not available at the moment, so leave your name, number, email and a message. I will respond to messages between 4-5 pm."

No Breaks - Working long hours without breaks. Take breaks, eat well, and stay fresh. When you're fatigued, your work is less efficient. Better to work a short focused time, then to keep working long hours without accomplishing anything.

Neglecting Yourself - Forgetting to sleep, eat, exercise and relax properly - Refer above. Take care of yourself.

Randall Mauldin