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Deal with disruptions

A disruption is an attempt by someone else to put their current priority ahead of yours. But maybe their priority should be yours too. Your choice is between a disruption and an opportunity.

To minimize the disruption:

• Seek advice from the person -perhaps they have a solution as well as a problem
• Offer to introduce the person with the problem to someone who can handle it more effectively
• Differentiate between interruptions and opportunities
• Separate the feelings from the facts
• Use modern technology to its full extent
• Assess the interruption in terms of your goals
• Keep interruptions short
• Make a note of the next step before discarding your current task
• For tasks requiring high concentration find a quiet location
• Keep an interruption log to identify the chief sources

To deal with drop in visitors:

• Reduce seating space and comfort
• Arrange to be interrupted by a colleague
• Explain your current workload at the start of the visit
• Remain standing
• Suggest that we go and have a look at it -go to the problem rather than talk about it
• Define the next step to terminate a conversation
• Use an open door policy wisely -close the door when you are not to be interrupted. My preference is to close it firmly from the outside. Go see people on their own turf and you can choose when to leave.

If the interruption comes by phone:

• Explain that it is not convenient to speak right now
• Suggest you call back when you have recovered the file or other details
• Do call back. Your reputation depends on it.
• Agree on a time that will suit you both.
• Terminate the conversation with a next step.

John Sleigh's program Making Time For The Things That Matter
is available as a keynote speech, a two hour seminar or a full day workshop
Contact John for details

John Sleigh has been applying adult learning principles to training design and workplace communication projects since 1988.

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 These resources are provided for your personal use. For permission to include them in your published materials, contact John. Permission is usually given for fair use, but please ask first. I like to receive feedback on how you think the materials can be used to stimulate ideas for further development.

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