Interruption is the enemy of productivity.
Usually unintentional.. when people burst in on your maker time, they’re saying in action what they have is far more important than anything you could be working on. This isn’t true, so it’s ok to at first gently nudge people to set some healthier boundaries so people know how best to get your help.
If you have a helpful nature (very good quality) there’s better ways to not end up a path of least resistance where people can ask you before looking into it themselves.
You can decide if it is best to put up a sign, send an email, or verbally tell anyone who interrupts you to help you help them in one of the following ways:
- Use Calendly to block out available times. use these for overflows of conversations and solving problems. 30 minute slots.
- Answering things via email quicker than than in person. Batch the communication. Save in person for dedicated problem solving.
- Consider starting a lunch and learn on Monday’s to help people share what kinds of problems they helped someone out with that others might have too. People learn to help each other.
- If these are your direct reports you can ask them what they tried before coming to you, not give th,e the answer and work through it with them,
- Use headphones to indicate you shouldn’t be interrupted, ask ppl to respect it. I know someone who would flinch a little when he was interrupted.
- When someone interrupts you, before replying, you can say I’m in the middle of something and have a minutes now if we need more time we can schedule something later in the day. They won’t get all the help they need and will focus on how to best get that, worst case.
- Start using the phrase “I don’t like interrupting you, can we talk when you reach a good stopping point” in your correspondence when requesting time of others. It sinks in over time.
- There is a busy light you can buy that can sit on top of your monitor and is red, yellow or green to be approached. I forget what it’s called but they look interesting.