The Art of Appearances: 10 Sneaky Ways to Look Productive Without Breaking a Sweat

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Appearances matter, especially in the workplace.

In fact, research has shown that people who are well-presented and appear organized tend to get promoted faster and earn higher salaries.

However, productivity doesn’t always come naturally, and sometimes it’s difficult to know where to start.

If you’re worried about looking unproductive, don’t worry; this article will show you 10 sneaky ways to look productive without breaking a sweat.

#1. Walk Fast

Walking fast around the office is common for many people trying to look busy at work.

The hurried pace makes it seem like they are always on the go, taking on many tasks and attending important meetings.

Even if they may not have much to do, walking fast can create an illusion of busyness and productivity.

Research shows that your walking speed and posture can affect how others perceive you in the workplace.

Walking with a purpose and a brisk pace can convey confidence and focus, making you appear more competent and driven.

#2. Make Small Talk

While chatting with others around the water cooler might not sound like a way to appear busy, it can be as long as you drop seeds in your conversation.

Sprinkle in the big report or assignment you are working on to others, and this will help reinforce the idea that you are busy when you close your office door.

Hearing you are busy and seeing your door closed will make them think twice about interrupting you.

Just be careful not to overshare about assignments, as this can quickly backfire.

#3. Keep An Open Spreadsheet

Whether it’s a sales tracker or project management tool, having a spreadsheet open on your screen can give the impression that you’re in the middle of meaningful work.

Plus, it’s easy to glance at and quickly update throughout the day.

You can even change a few numbers and make a note of them, so when someone comes in and questions what you are doing, you can show them how a few numbers are off, and you’re trying to figure out why.

#4. Keep Open Training Books

Keeping open training manuals on your desk can be a great way to make it look like you’re constantly working hard.

As you may know, appearances can truly be everything in the workplace, and having these manuals in plain sight can help you give the impression that you’re always on task.

Whether you’re referring to them or not, displaying these guides on your desk can convey a sense of diligence and focus to your colleagues and superiors.

#5. Close Your Office Door

Have you ever noticed how closing your office door can give off the illusion that you’re swamped with work?

It’s a common tactic used by many professionals to appear busy and focused, especially when they need to concentrate on an important task or project.

By closing your office door, you’re sending a clear signal to others that you’re not available for interruptions, whether it’s a chatty coworker or a manager looking to delegate more work.

So close your office door, call a friend, or play solitaire on your computer.

You’ll know you are wasting time, but others will think you are working on something important.

#6. Attend Industry Events

If you aim to get out of the office, search for industry-related conferences or networking events you can attend.

When you go, work hard the first day making connections and collecting business cards, and then slack off the rest of the time.

This will allow you to return with great contacts and ideas, making everyone think you hustled the entire trip when you only worked one day.

#7. Get To The Office First

You don’t have to arrive at work hours before everyone else, but rather a few minutes early.

As long as you are there first, they won’t know if you started five minutes ago or five hours.

They will get used to seeing your vehicle in the parking lot first and you at your desk.

This could allow you to leave early since you put in so much time first thing in the morning.

Plus, it will earn you some brownie points when you get caught slacking off.

#8. Visit The Stock Room

If you work in a bar, restaurant, or other place of business with a stock room, offer to go there to take inventory, retrieve items, etc.

Since most people don’t enter this room, it is ripe for wasting time.

You can chill out on your phone or relax for a bit.

If anyone asks what took you so long, tell them how unorganized it is down there.

You might even use that excuse to get a new task: organizing the stock room, where you spend your entire day away from your colleagues!

#9. Schedule Fake Meetings

If others can access your office calendar, make it a point to put some fake meetings in.

Not only will this limit the times others can schedule meetings for you, but you can use the time you blocked off to do other things.

Ensure you don’t go overboard with this one and block off time every day, as this will raise red flags.

Also, ensure you don’t use that time to go shopping, as you never know when someone might see you and blow up your strategy.

#10. Always Carry Papers

Carrying a stack of papers or folders at work might seem like a hassle, but have you ever considered the impression it gives off to those around you?

Having paper on hand can make you appear productive and busy, signaling to coworkers and superiors that you’re actively working on tasks and taking your responsibilities seriously, even though you aren’t working much at all.

#11. Bring Two Sets of Car Keys To Work

Here is a genius trick some people use.

Bring two sets of car keys to work and leave one set on your desk when you go for lunch.

You can take a little longer; people will think you are at work, just not at your desk.

#12. Have a Messy Desk

They say that a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, but what if I told you that it could also signify a busy worker?

Despite the myths of the clean workspace being the holy grail of productivity, having a messy desk can make you look busier to your colleagues.

Think about it; a stack of papers, a scattering of Post-it notes, and loose pens in every direction give the impression that you’re always busy and juggling multiple tasks.

And I can attest to the opposite.

I kept a clean desk, and my bosses would always come to me first with more work because it looked as though I wasn’t busy because I only had one paper on my desk.

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