Mind If Cut In? Managing Interruptions at Work.

It occurs as part of the natural flow of things in the workplace and it is virtually impossible to avoid. It can make you lose your train of thought and hinder the progress of projects that require full and focused attention. I am talking about interruptions, my friends. While we all have to deal with it, some handle it better than others. Our office has a unique situation- the four of us are in one room with nowhere to hide.

Some interruptions are important, and it is a fact of life that from time-to-time your expertise will be needed outside of your regularly scheduled workday. Aside from in-person interruptions, we are constantly dealing with phone calls, emails and IMs. Good news; I have a few ways you could minimize the impact of interruptions on your productivity. They aren’t one-size-fits-all and the application depends on your work environment:

Plan for it. Your coworkers are not purposely trying to sabotage your carefully planned day – but as mentioned before, some interruptions are important and inevitable. In fact, you are probably aware of when certain interruptions are going to happen. When planning out your schedule for the day, allow some gaps in your day so interruptions won’t be such a big deal.

Take control. It is OK to tune out every once in a while. Just be sure to respond to emails, phone calls and the like in a reasonable timeframe. In our office, we “plug in” with our ear buds and tune everything out with music. This is our “Do Not Disturb” sign. If you are lucky enough to have your own office, you can place a sign on your door (but not all day). Share your system with coworkers: more than likely they will accept and respect it. They may even adopt your strategy!

Don’t interrupt others. We have all heard the advice to treat others the way you would like to be treated. Be a model for what you would like to see. Before launching into a full-on conversation, ask if it is a good time to talk.

Hide. I’m serious. If you have a smaller office where there isn’t a quiet place to focus, leave the office. If you cannot leave, find out if a half-day out of the office is possible. A few hours of focused time may allow you to accomplish more than you would in days of interrupted time.

Just say no. Some interruptions are necessary, but many of them can wait. If you are not available, ask the person if you can talk about it later. Don’t beat around the bush or make up an excuse, just be honest and matter-of-fact. Learning to say “no” is not always easy, but with time it can prevent a lot of headaches.

We are all in this together. If you communicate your need for focused time and establish a system, most people will appreciate and respect it.