Photo By Curt Fonger

8 tips to handle interruptions

Interruptions are part of our every day life, at work and at home. Some people have work that is defined by interruption: think of the legal assistant who is constantly on call to a lawyer for research, or an academic assistant who must be prepared to meet with the department chair at a moment’s notice to deal with the latest emergency.  If you are one of these, never fear!  Some of these tips to deal with interruptions can still help you out.

Interruptions fall into two categories: Major and minor. Major interruptions can be anything from time out to prepare taxes, have a baby, move your office, schedule surgery, or prepare a major (but unanticipated) report.  Minor interruptions, are those small daily work stoppages, small items that can add up to major frustration. These include too many emails to answer, requests for unscheduled meetings, or unannounced visitors.  Here’s a list of things you can do to help yourself:

1.  Be prepared: get organized (at least a little). Put a system into place for knowing what you need to do, and when you need to do it.  A system helps you pick up where you left off more easily when you get interrupted by that telephone call or that co-worker that has to talk “right now” or that “high-priority” email from your boss. How you choose to organize is up to you: perhaps you use a 1-31 tickler file, or an electronic calendar that reminds you of your next task.  Just remember that if you are relying on a system to remind you of what you need to do next, you must actually use the system for it to work!

2.  List your resources:  What is the nature of the interruption?  Is it a recurring project or report deadline that is within your control?  Or are you moving your office to a new location, so many elements are unknown?

 

  • Make a list of the resources you need to get your task finished.
  • How much time or money do you have or need?
  • Are there pre-existing resources or support systems that can help? (For instance, moving companies have prepared inventory forms you can fill out; tax preparers have lists of things to include in your annual filing.)

3.  Come up with a plan: Begin by listing the tasks to be done, and prioritize them.  Decide what is an emergency to be done “immediately” and what can wait. List deadlines for non-emergencies, and give yourself a personal deadline. Have someone else hold you accountable for it. Consider the consequences of putting something off.  If this is a major interruption, make some notes after it is over in case you have to do this again.

4.  Understand the process of change: According to William Bridges, there are three phases of change – letting go, transition, and starting anew. The transition phase is the hardest because it is that “in between” place where you have left behind the old and are uncertain about what the new will be.  This is where you may feel vulnerable, anxious and in a state of flux.  Just knowing this can help with processing major interruptions.

5.  Just do it: As the old Nike commercial suggests, beginning the process will help you, too.  Vacations or having children are normal and delightful interruptions, but you may need a plan for “re-entry.” Decide what you will do, and when you will do it. Make sure your plan is realistic, especially if you know you will have time constraints.

6.  Reward yourself at every step: Rewards should be something you really like to do, whether it’s a coffee break or going to a movie. If they take a chunk of time, you will need to plan your reward time, too.  But as you check off the major items to get through a major interruption, allow yourself to enjoy your success. Use your visualization skills to see your best possible outcome.

7.  Figure out the causes of your interruptions, and stop them in their tracks when possible. Try turning off your telephone (of whatever sort!) for a portion of each day; ditto for email. This does not mean ignoring it completely, just giving yourself some uninterrupted blocks of time.  If your interruptions come from people needing information from you, try to determine if there is a way to provide that information in advance, or let them know where they can get the information for themselves. Notice if people invite themselves into to your office to talk, and try standing up when you are ready for them to leave.

8.  Practice the two-minute rule: The OHIO rule, or “Only Handle It Once,” doesn’t actually work. It’s better to know what to do with it your incoming items, because papers, emails, telephone calls and personal requests are happening all day long. Answer the easy ones right away and get rid of them.  This unclutters your brain for more important tasks.  Best of all, if you are interrupted, know when to say, “No, I can’t work on that right now,” because it will take more than two minutes.

You will get more productive quickly by practicing these techniques for both major and minor interruptions.  Some statistics suggest you will regain control over at least 20% of your work-day this way, and then you can take less work home.

 

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