From the course: Time Management Tips

Dealing with distracting coworkers

From the course: Time Management Tips

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Dealing with distracting coworkers

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- Do you have a coworker who has a gift for interrupting you? Perhaps they're a wonderful human being yet they also create a lot of distractions. Here are some tips to regain focus. First, look at yourself. Often people unwillingly create the very behavior that they don't want others to do. If you're interrupting others with questions, others are more likely to interrupt you. If you have the tendency to gossip, coworkers may seek you out for these conversations. Ask, is there something about my behavior that's encouraging distraction? Next, consider using headphones, playing personal music or white noise to create a boundary space. This can reduce the distraction of a random talk around the office. Also, people often hesitate to interrupt others if they see them wearing headphones. Similarly, you might have a conversation with coworkers about expectations and ground rules about when or when not to interrupt others. Creating boundaries can reduce unnecessary distraction. Finally, get in the habit of asking someone for a meeting. This relates to the concept I teach around a closed door open calendar policy. Rather than leaving yourself open to interruption at any time, leave pockets in your calendar open for people to schedule time to talk. Then if someone interrupts you, ask I'm really focused on what I'm working on right now, could we have a meeting about this in a couple of hours? Put it in your own words. The idea is you're asking the other person to consider if the interruption is truly urgent. The more you use this question, the less you'll experience unnecessary interruptions. While these tips don't cover every possible distraction, they're a starting point to reclaim some of your time and attention.

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