With so many things going on in our lives, interruptions seem to be both inevitable and nearly constant. This causes major problems with our time management and productivity. Interruptions are extremely disruptive to our concentration. How can anyone work with email, IM, cell phone, and voice mail constantly pinging? How can you get anything done with your boss and co-workers dropping by every five minutes with questions?
It has been demonstrated that any interruption derails focus and thought processes for an extended period of time. One study revealed that it takes 25 minutes, on average, for an employee to return to their task or project after being interrupted – even if the interruption is very short. With interruptions occurring every eleven minutes on average, or even more frequently, according to some studies, the professional’s focus doesn’t have time to return!
Some research indicates that there is almost a 25% chance that any interrupted task won’t continue until the following day. That would seem to indicate that any task that takes longer than eleven minutes to complete will take at least two days to finish!
Do you ever go home feeling like you didn’t accomplish anything at work that day? If you’re being constantly interrupted, chances are good that you didn’t!
It is possible to control the flow of interruptions disrupting the workday. No one has more control over your time than you do; it’s simply a matter of asserting that control.
Easier said than done, right? We know we don’t really have to look at all our email or texts right when they arrive, but what do we do? We give in to our curiosity. We want to know who’s trying to contact us. What if it’s important?
We know we have a choice when the phone rings, but we pick it up regardless, afraid of missing something critical.
We drop whatever we’re doing when we get an IM, and get sucked into a ten-minute exchange about what to order for lunch.
Some strategies for stemming the tide of interruptions and reclaiming some productive work time for yourself:
While you’re thinking about how to reclaim control over your own time, take a moment to consider how you behave towards others. Are you considerate of other people’s time? How often do you interrupt someone else and break their concentration? Do you contribute to lost productivity in your department or on your team?
Instead of shooting off an email or an IM every time you have another thought about a subject, try saving up a few ideas and composing a longer message with more content. If you need to discuss a project with a co-worker, try doing it over lunch instead of walking over to her desk in the middle of the workday. Set meetings to discuss issues with groups rather than trying to work things out via email. You will improve the communication culture of your workplace and everyone will be more productive as a result!
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