The more you can prevent coworker interruptions from disrupting your day, the more time you’ll have to focus on your important work. The challenge is you may need to drop everything and help people with their needs.
By using some simple time management tips, you can protect your schedule and still support your coworkers. It’s the hot topic for this week’s video in our ongoing productivity series.
What Productivity Questions Does This Video Answer?
- How can I prevent coworker interruptions?
- How can I focus more at work?
- What are some easy time management tips?
- How can I prepare for ongoing requests for help at work?
Video Transcript for Prevent Coworker Interruptions
Constantly interrupted at work? Let’s create some boundaries. We’ve all been there. You want to get some important work done and someone interrupts you with some sort of request, a need, and you’re happy to help but it kind of throws you off.
It’s hard to get back into what you were doing. And you lose some time. Well, how do you deal with these interruptions?
Sometimes interruptions are just part of the job and it’s good to want to help out people. But can you try to minimize the disruptions?
Try this, for a week or two, I want you to keep track of when you’re getting these interruptions. What time of day?
See if it’s some sort of pattern emerges. When you can see, oh, Wednesday is a day when I get interrupted a lot. If that’s the case, try to not have things when you really need to focus and concentrate happening on Wednesday.
Or if there is a time of day that’s really busy. Try to avoid that for your most important tasks. Also, I want you to track what’s the nature of the interruptions? Are some of them predictable to a certain extent?
Can you prepare for them ahead of time? And anticipate the requests?
So, instead of having to look for something and then send it to someone, if if you know it’s coming, then maybe first thing that day, you send it out.
Give some consistency to your schedule. Interruptions are always going to be there but if you can prepare for them, you can lessen the disruptive affect on your day.
About Ken Okel
As a motivational speaker, Ken Okel works with leaders and organizations to boost productivity, performance, and profits. At conferences, conventions, and company meetings, he engages audiences with new ways to maximize their time at work. To see a sample of his keynote and workshop presentations, visit his video page.
