You woke up ready to take on the world and just knew you’d be more productive today than ever before. Then you looked up at 4 p.m. and realized that despite working hard all day, you didn’t get much checked off. In fact, your to-do list only grew.
How can one start the day so energetically, work constantly, and still get so little done? It usually boils down to one word: interruptions.
All it takes is one “Got a minute?” to derail your train of thought. Human interaction may be necessary for any cooperative enterprise, but it’s also the single greatest source of impaired productivity.
So how do you balance relationships with results? Implement these simple procedures to cut interruptions off at the pass.
1. Abandon your open-door policy
Open-door policies sound nice, but in practice they result in constant interruptions. Instead of making yourself accessible all the time, set specific office hours when people can interrupt you freely, and close the door when facing a tight deadline.
SEE ALSO: 5 signs of high performance to look for in job candidates
2. Turn off email alerts and ringers
Don’t respond to email when it tells you to. Check your messages a few times a day, rather than leaving your inbox up and answering them as they come in. By turning off the alerts, you’ll be in control and can answer everyone’s questions at once. Otherwise you’ll have to handle those questions at others’ prompting, not yours.
3. Screen your interruptions
If you have an assistant, let him filter your interruptions. Have him hold your calls and intercept visitors when necessary, asking him to schedule appointments with those wanting to meet with you.
4. Prepare an FAQ
If people often interrupt with the same questions, create a Frequently Asked Questions document — just like the FAQ file on a website — and post it on the company intranet. Let them know where you’ve put it and that you’d appreciate it if they would check it out before coming to you.
5. Set clear deadlines for when you expect to turn in projects
If you know it’ll take you a day to do a specific task, let your colleagues and managers know so they won’t interrupt you with “Is it done yet?” inquiries.
6. Establish a signal
Like a manager I worked with at Coca-Cola, don your red cap when you can’t afford interruptions — or stretch tape across your door, or turn your nameplate around — anything that will alert people that you prefer not to be interrupted right now. Just don’t keep your signal up all day, or it’ll lose its effectiveness.
7. Block out time to work
Schedule time on your calendar for yourself. Mark it off as “busy” so others don’t schedule meetings with you. Ask people to check your calendar and schedule an appointment with you rather than popping in.
Action step
Implement one of these anti-interruptions tactics each week for seven weeks. You’ll soon be on your way to greater productivity and performance — and much less stress.
