Masonry Magazine August 2000 Page. 32
They happen every day. A co-worker enters your work space to share his latest brilliant idea. Or a customer drops by to ask an urgent question. Or the telephone rings when you're in the middle of intense concentration. You've been interrupted.
Some management experts say that interruptions are the plague of the modem workplace. They disrupt schedules, foil important tasks, and breed inefficiency. What you can do about interruptions depends on your workplace and work style. But you can interrupt your interruptions, or at the very least, manage them more effectively. Here are a few of the top interruption-busting strategies:
INTERRUPTIONS: INTERRUPT THEM!
By Richard Ensman
Get angry at them. This may typically be your first course of action. But let's face it: this strategy rarely addresses the problem; instead it causes more problems, ranging from high blood pressure to workplace conflict.
Stop them. Shut the door. Let your voice mail take your phone calls. Or sport a bit of humor by posting a "gone fishing" sign on your door.
Accept them. In your workplace, some interruptions may be necessary for business success. If this is the case, an attitude adjustment not an interruption adjustment - may be called for.
Recover from them. The problem with interruptions is that they force you to stop what you're doing. They disrupt "flow." Analyze the interruptions you frequently face and develop "transitional skills" - such as a series of step-by-step routines-that help you gently move in and out of a task at will.
Legislate them. Institute a simple procedure describing who may interrupt you, and when and how you're willing to be interrupted.
Minimize them. Classic minimization techniques: create gentle discomfort by placing books on chairs or leaving obstacles near the door.
Defer them. Ask unexpected callers or visitors to talk to you later (or tomorrow). Or tell them you'll call them back.
Record them. Resolve to handle interruption-related activities at a later time. Keep an interruption log on your desk, and use it to note the interruptions that occur and the action you'll eventually take on them.
Consolidate them. Set a regular "interruption hour" for each person on your staff. This "open hour" is fair game for any and all visits.
Delegate them. If you have a secretary or assistant, ask that individual to serve as "first contact" for all interruptions. Your assistant may, at times, be able to solve the problem. At the very least, your assistant can record it and describe it to you later.
Refer them. Send the folks who interrupt you to people who can better handle the issues at hand.
Use them. Interrupted? Make a request or assignment of the interrupter- something that will ease your day or task. Look at this strategy as a combination of negative reinforcement and compensation.
Simplify them. When you're interrupted, limit discussion to what is critical. At all costs, avoid small talk and extraneous conversation.
Organize them. When interrupted, ask for a written summary, fax or analysis of the problem at hand. This forces the interrupter to study the issue himself and to provide for a focused discussion with you later on.
By using one or two of these simple strategies, you can ease the interruptions that plague you throughout the work day. The bottom line: you become more productive and better able to manage the myriad of details that cause interruptions in the first place.
DO YOU INTERRUPT YOURSELF?
Who interrupts you the most? Your co-workers?