Dr. Melissa Gratias
An interruption is anything that stops the forward momentum of a thought or action. While once limited to a ringing phone or knock at the door, the frequency of interruptions is increasing as workplace communication tools evolve. Although interruptions can be reduced, they cannot (and should not!) be eliminated altogether.
To reduce unnecessary interruptions that you experience and cause, it is helpful to understand why they occur. Then, you can take intervening steps.
So, why do we interrupt each other?
(1) Poor task management systems. An interruption often results from a fear of forgetting a task. You may interrupt yourself (and others) simply because you fear if you don’t do this thing right now then you’ll forget to do it later. Well-functioning to-do lists can diminish these types of interruptions.
(2) Gaps in regular communication. Another cause of workplace interruptions is the need to catch a person with whom you need to communicate. The first remedy to communication deficits is to establish predictable meeting times. The critical accompaniment to this is to save up non-urgent discussion items for the scheduled meetings.
(3) Rudeness. The rudeness of others, although not always within your sphere of control, can be mitigated with honest conversation and the strategic use of barrier devices, such as a closed door or “Work in Progress” sign.
(4) True workplace emergencies. This is the one and only legitimate workplace interruption, and after all, some interruptions correlate with job security, right?
Even interruptions that we perceive are beneficial can be disruptive, and there are many ways that you can influence the interruptions you cause and receive. Strive reduce the unnecessary interruptions that you experience at work, not to crush communication. We must protect our time but also be realistic – interruptions will not disappear simply because we wish they would.