I recently came across data that showed interruptions at work cost the US economy more than 1/2 TRILLION dollars per year ($588MM).
The average employee spends 28% of their time dealing with unnecessary interruptions. The average manager is interrupted every 8 to 9 minutes.
What do you think interruptions and distractions cost you each day, week, or year?
Many of the business owners I speak with tell me they are interrupted or distracted from what they SHOULD be doing, or PLANNED on doing any given day, for about two hours.
With two hours per day of lost productivity, it’s no surprise that many business owners tell me they are under a lot of pressure, stressed out, and even getting burned out.
But there is good news!
It doesn’t have to be this way and you can fairly easily take control and manage interruptions and distractions at work, whether you have an office, home office, or both.
There are three things you need to do for starters:
· Allow for interruptions
· Identify the source
· Minimize their impact using specific strategies
When you do these three things, you become more focused and enjoy a more productive work life.
Here are some strategies to help you avoid and manage interruptions.
Identify the Culprits
Identify who, or what, causes the interruptions. Start by keeping a time log and track your interruptions for one week. At the end of a week, analyze who or what interrupts you most and then create a plan to manage and minimize this.
Stay on Track
Prioritize your daily to-do list and if you do get interrupted ALWAYS go back to where you were before the interruption. Use a Post-it flag to mark papers you were working with, or highlight a line on your computer, so you can quickly and easily get right back to what you were doing.
EMAIL Management
EMAIL can be a huge interruption. Don’t hit “Reply All” to an email unless you need a reply back from everyone. Turn off your email notifications and only check your email at specific times of the day.
Open Door Policy
An “Open Door” policy that allows employees to stop by at ANYTIME with their ideas, opinions, or suggestions can create multiple interruptions during the day. State your policy clearly in your employee manual. Managers should always have the option of telling unannounced visitors that they understand their need to see them immediately, but cannot meet with them at that exact moment. Suggest an alternative time. Stand up to talk to drop-ins.
Other Suggestions…
Arrange your office furniture so you can’t make eye contact when people pass by.
Schedule weekly staff meetings and individual meetings to discuss miscellaneous items “that can’t wait.”
Have everyone set up a folder on their desk for items to be discussed at meetings. Encourage them to request an item be added to the meeting agenda BEFORE the actual meeting.
Do not be the “Go To” person for facts, figures and files. Encourage everyone to have their own system so they can find what they need when they need it. Leverage the power of technology and put this information on a company INTRANET.
Train employees to minimize their interruptions OF EACH OTHER.
Get organized and keep a clean, clutter-free desk. People have very little confidence in your commitment when your office looks like a cyclone hit it. The clutter will actually distract you. When you sit down to work something in a pile will catch your eye, and your attention, and next thing you know you are interrupting yourself.
If you’d like the support and help of a Professional Organizer, call me today at (978) 922-6136 or drop me a line via this online inquiry form at my website. I’ll tell you more about my Three Hour Transformation and the positive impact it has had for other business owners and managers.
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