Be More Productive by Sitting Next to Someone Who Works Hard.
You can enjoy privacy or sit with friendly people who help you relax at work. However, if you want to do more, place your desk next to the most hardworking employee.
According to the Harvard Business Review business website, who you sit next to can affect your productivity. If the person next to your desk is doing a lot, you are more likely to stay focused as well. If they are chatty and often distracted, they will distract you too:
We have seen that neighbors have a significant impact on employee productivity, which can be both positive and negative. In terms of scale, we find that roughly 10% of a worker’s productivity is passed on to his neighbors. Replacing the average performer with someone who is twice as productive leads to an increase in the productivity of his or her neighbors by an average of about 10%.
It’s no surprise that a distracting coworker can reduce your productivity, but it’s equally true that a productive coworker can inspire us to work harder. Whether it’s because we’re competitive or we just don’t want to stand out, we’re more likely to try to achieve the performance of those around us.
Want to be more productive? Sit next to someone who is | HBR