This post is not going to debate the merits of friendly intra-office banter/camaraderie. I can’t think of a single reason to say that having friends in the office or at least maintaining friendly attitudes is bad. However, in terms of time-management and efficiency, they must be put in their place. Literally.

When I first showed up to work in the mornings, I always thought of the first 60-90 minutes as “show and tell”. What happened over the weekend, funny emails, stories from home life etc. First thing in the morning was the appropriate time to discuss all of these things. Wrong! Those first couple of hours are the best time of time to do your “veggies”– those all important tasks that are good for your employment health, but maybe not the most fun.

Don’t get me wrong, building a cohesive, friendly atmosphere with co-workers is very important. But use your time wisely! By employing a “batching” strategy of time management and accomplishing your veggies first thing in the morning, you can maintain relationships and accomplish more.