Cover Story
Controlling interruptions
October 2009

Audio version of this article.

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You’ve got a pressing deadline, but don’t have a door you can close to discourage interruptions. Of course, some interruptions must be dealt with, such as your boss coming by to give you important instructions about a new project. But other interrup¬tions may be less important, and some are not necessary at all. How can you prevent unnecessary distractions when you need to concentrate? Here are some suggestions:

 

• Avoid eye contact with people who are casually passing by. Keep your head down and your eyes focused on your work. If you are working on the computer and have a headset that you use for voice dictation or telephone calls, put it on even if you’re not using it. People will be less likely to interrupt you if they think you are listening to something.


• Don’t make it easy for others to linger. If you have a visitor’s chair, remove it temporarily or cover it with papers. Put a time limit on conversations. If someone asks, “Do you have a minute?” glance at your watch and then tactfully say, “I have about two minutes right now, or I can come and talk with you when I’ve finished this report.”


• Let others know you don’t want to be interrupted. Negotiate with co-workers to develop a “signal” that you can all use to tell others you are unavailable for anything but urgent matters. This can be very useful if you are working in an open-concept office where there are no dividers and desks are close together. Put up a sign that says “Can’t talk now—deadline near” or some other signal that lets people know you are under the gun.