The Hunt

So, here’s a challenge.  Read through this entire article… uninterrupted. Not an easy task?  Perhaps you fall into the majority of workers who participated in a recent online quiz. If you’re in business, you’ve experienced the effects of “busyness”

Of 6,000 workers surveyed, “71% reported frequent interruptions when they’re working” (Quiz: How Do Your Time Management Skills Stack Up, Leadership IQ).

Be Aware of Common Distractions

Perhaps it’s an annoying co-worker, email notifications every two minutes, text messages, needless meetings, or the temptation of your own cell phone.  Whatever the interruption, it means lost productivity, which costs money and more.  In the time management survey, workers frequently interrupted report job dissatisfaction.  “There’s only a 44% chance they will leave the work day feeling like, ‘today was a really successful day’” (Leadership IQ).

Interruptions break the train of thought of the worker, especially when doing a task that requires deep thinking.  It often takes several minutes to get back into the higher level thinking “flow.”

In her Psychology Today article, The Myth of Multitasking, Dr. Nancy Napier explains, “That start/stop/start process is rough on us: rather than saving time, it costs time (even very small micro seconds), it’s less efficient, we make more mistakes, and over time it can be energy sapping.”

So, what can be done to lessen interruptions?

1. Keep a daily log of who or what interrupts you.
2. Don’t be afraid to nicely explain that you are unable to concentrate with interruptions (it’s nothing personal).
3. Set up a daily time to meet with coworkers. For example, suggest a 4 pm daily de-brief.
4. Keep a shared Google calendar and mark off times you are unavailable.
5. If you have an office with a closed door and window, perhaps block off the window during unavailable times.
6. On a personal level, limit the number of times you check email. Take action on an email the first time it is read it instead of coming back to the same emails again and again.
7. Be organized. There’s nothing more frustrating than being interrupted because you can’t find something.
8. Download an IPhone app called Checky. It’s a phone habit tracker.

On any typical workday, we are faced with hundreds of choices about how to spend our time.  Interrupting workplace distractions come in waves—regular, ever-present, taking on forms like coworkers, smartphones, and unnecessary meetings.

The team at Artemis Consultants knows that interruptions cost time and money. By practicing intentional focus, our recruiting team can provide a superior level of service and be a valuable search partner for our clients. Check out the variety of recruiting services we provide for software, technology, data and B2B services companies. We invite you to contact us to see how we can help with your hiring needs.