Hello all,
Ever get interrupted? Find yourself distracted...and not by social media but by other tangential work tasks? If you're anything like me (and I know I am...) this is a daily issue.
And it really matters.
According to research and anecdotal info alike, posted in the human resources blog of U.C. Berkeley
The Impact of Interruptions:
"The impact of interruptions cannot be overstated. They kill our momentum. When we start again on our task, we can’t simply pick up where we left off, we have to reorient ourselves, re-immerse, and re-gain our momentum. The length of our recovery time depends on the complexity of our task; ranging anywhere from 8 minutes for simpler tasks to 25 minutes for more complex ones."
So what can we do about it?
Here are some suggestions if the interruptions come from people looking to you for answers.
Stopping Interruptions from taking over your day from the Assist newsletter:
- Create systems so people can find answers without you. If you keep answering the same questions, that knowledge needs a home outside your head.
- Build resources your team can check before they reach for you. Start with asynchronous documentation:
- Standard operating procedures (SOPs) for recurring tasks
- FAQ documents for common questions
- Dashboards that show progress and key metrics
- A shared knowledge base or company wiki where information lives
When people know where to look, they stop interrupting you by default.
Ok, but what if the interruptions come from your own distractibility, as many of mine do? Try methods such as:
- Clearing clutter away from your workspace
- Turning off notifications
- Making a task list that works with your peak productivity times
- Short stretch and movement breaks to let your brain refocus without starting a different task
And share with the list... what works for you?
Wishing you all the best, and a less distracted day,
Holly
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