Ever notice how much more you get done on the occasional day that you work away from the office? Ask anyone who's had a job in an office setting, and they'll tell you: There are days when you find yourself starting your to-do list at 4:30 P.M.
Where does the time go? A "quick" question from a colleague here, a drop-in-and-chat session from another there, a phone call, a never-ending flow of incoming e-mail. Add it all up, and you'll soon see how interruptions can consume your entire day.
The time may fly — but, unfortunately, the work remains. That's why knowing how to stop, limit, or divert interruptions is so important.
You can start with something subtle: turning on voice mail to screen calls for an hour or so each day, working now and then in an empty conference room, putting a clock behind your desk to keep drop-in visitors aware of the time. You can also use more direct approaches: taping a sign to your door or outside your cubicle to let colleagues know when it's not a good time to interrupt; and instituting an agreed-upon "do not disturb" signal, such as turning your nameplate around.
Even those tools that were meant to make you more efficient can, at times, prove to be distracting and can inhibit your work. Does your e-mail alert you every time a new message arrives in your inbox, even if it's junk e-mail? And how often is your e-mail set to check for new messages? When you're up against a deadline and you need to get work done, there is such a thing as being too connected.
The following information and tools should help you put interruptions in their place so that you can get to work.
