You can boost your business by boosting your productivity, and there’s nothing more detrimental to focus and achievement like constant interruptions.
Like phone, email and app alerts, interruptions are simply another form of notification. You’re being notified by another person that they need your attention. For dealing with interruptions, I like Melissa Gratias’ Take 10 Give 5 method.
Melissa explains in her videos and on her blog that there is an anatomy to an interruption. When you’re working on your primary task and you’re interrupted, there is what is called an “interruption lag”. This describes the period of time between your primary task and your secondary task. This is when your brain ‘tunes out’ of one topic and tunes in to another.
Then there is what is called a “resumption lag”, describing the period of time between the secondary task and picking up your primary task again – i.e., the task you were working on before the interruption.
Reduce the impact of interruptions by marking your place
Melissa’s Take 10 Give 5 method aims to reduce the resumption lag.
The ‘Take 10’ part of this method is when you ask the interrupter to give you 10 seconds. During that time, you mark where you were up to in your primary task.
This might mean highlighting a line of text on your screen or placing a sticky note next to the line of text you were reading on a physical page, or even having a notepad and writing down what you were doing at the time.
This reduces the resumption lag, so you can get back to that primary task much more rapidly.
Check the need and either address it or reschedule it
The ‘Give 5’ part of this method is where you ask the interrupter if they need more than five minutes of your time.
If the task is urgent or needs only five minutes or less, go ahead and deal with the interruption. If the interrupter needs more time, ask them if you can schedule time to deal with it later.
A good structure makes you feel in control and less harrassed
By default, when you effectively deal with notifications and interruptions, you will have a more productive day.
The confidence and sense of control you gain from this simple, practical approach also creates a boost in your energy as you feel more in command of your time.
If you’re fed up with interruptions, get in touch with us, we’d love to help.
