by Silva Payne

Created on: December 24, 2009   Last Updated: July 05, 2010

We have all been in the middle of an important piece of work, only to have a colleague arrive at our elbow with the words, “Can you just help me with ...?” It can be frustrating, or it can be a validation of your esteem among your co-workers. Knowing how to handle interruptions effectively can be a useful tool in your workplace strategy.

Interruptions come in several formats. Being able to anticipate interruptions is useful to prevent the frustrations they can cause. If you are about to begin a particularly complex piece of spreadsheet analysis, putting your telephone onto voice-mail for a while may be sufficient to manage any possible interruptions. This allows you to focus on your work, yet gives your clients a chance to leave you a message which you can then respond to later in the day.

A commonly overlooked interruption can be the end of the working day. Many people will begin a task with perhaps just half an hour to go before home time. If you know the task is going to be long and difficult, it is always better to start it at the beginning of the day. You can, of course use that last half an hour to set things up for the task, but trying to focus on it at that time will only lead to mistakes, and irritability when you have to stop just as you get going.

Keep a notepad on your desk with a pencil (pens have a habit of not working when you most want them to), so that you can make a note of where you are in your task if you have to change screens or take a call. The notepad is also useful to jot down the particulars of whatever your co-worker wants your help with. This will show them that you are serious in wanting to help, yet professional enough to be organised and not just let a project slip.

If you are in the middle of a complicated task and a work colleague arrives at your desk, do not feel that you are being rude by asking them to either take a seat and wait. You can also say that you will come over to their desk in a few moments. Everyone knows how awkward it can be to just stop what you are doing and focus on something else. Your colleague will appreciate that you have acknowledged them, and will be able to see that you are busy. Explain that you just need to get to the end of this calculation, or save what you have been working on, or finish writing this email.

There are of course some interruptions that cannot and must not be avoided. If the weather is stormy outside, play it safe and save your work every few moments. If the power suddenly fails, you will know that only a couple of minutes work may be lost and not a whole morning's worth. Finally, if you hear a fire alarm, simply hit “save” and then get up and leave the building. No amount of work is worth risking your life or the lives of others.

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