TGIT

Think you have a case of the Mondays? You’re not the only one.

In a national survey developed by Accountemps, 150 executives were asked, “Which day of the week are employees generally more productive?” Fifty-seven percent answered Tuesday. In comparison, 12 percent chose Monday, 11 percent chose Wednesday and Thursday each, and only 3 percent chose Friday. Six percent did not know which was the most productive day.

Why Tuesday? “[On] Monday, most people are playing catch-up from the weekend,” says Kenji Nakano, division director for the staffing services firm’s Honolulu branch. “There’s a lot of e-mails in their inboxes, a lot of voicemails in their inboxes and Monday, traditionally, there are a lot of meetings. … Monday is generally when people will create their game plan for the week and Tuesday will be the day to initiate it.”

To make the rest of the week productive, planning and time management are key. “I encourage my staff to pre-plan every day before they go home so that they can hit the ground running when they come in the next day,” he says. That includes planning the week ahead on Friday afternoon.

Also, stay focused. Avoid any distractions; Nakano suggests checking e-mail only at certain set times of the day. Try to fit in some rest as well. “We’re not robots,” Nakano says. “I think people are able to work better when they recharge and take periodic breaks and regain their focus.”

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