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Controlling Interruptions

by Jan Jasper    

Verbal Tactics and Body Language—

When someone pokes their head in and asks "got a minute?" Reply "Not now, unless it’s urgent." Then set a time to meet them later--and set an ending time, too. If you’ve told someone you’re available between 4:10 and 4:25 they can’t be offended if you walk them to the door at 4:25.

Should you choose to speak with them right then, stand to greet them and remain standing—your visitor is unlikely to sit. State how much time you have--odd numbers like "I have seven minutes" make it clear that your time is limited.

For a visitor who merits a sit-down meeting, try this: After you’ve covered what you need to, politely signal "time to go"--glance at your watch, shuffle some papers, or pick up the phone. If your visitor ignores these cues, stand up and say, "That’s it, then! Thank you for coming in," and walk over to her and edge her towards the door.

Office Layout

If you have very frequent drop-in visitors, perhaps the layout of your office invites interruptions. If you’re next to the water cooler or copy machine, you need to add a visual and noise buffer. A strategically placed partition, even a large a file cabinet or potted plant can shield you. If your desk faces a busy hallway where people congregate, turn your desk at an angle to avoid eye contact with passersby.

If you have a comfortable chair next to your desk, replace it with a hard, uninviting one, or remove the chair altogether. If the chairs must stay, keep stuff on them, and don’t move the stuff so the visitor can sit down unless he or she has a valid claim on more than a minute of your time--people who can’t find a place to sit will not linger long. I’ve heard a story about a man who sawed an inch off of the front two legs of his guest chair—visitors’ calf muscles soon tired of the effort required to keep them from sliding forward off their chair! I don’t know if it’s true, but it’s inspiring, isn’t it? Another option is to meet in the other person’s office so you can leave when you choose.

Closed-Door Work Sessions

You can also control interruptions by establishing closed-door times, for say, two hours. Put a sign on your door (or on the outside wall of your cubicle) that you aren’t to be interrupted unless it’s an emergency. Use voice mail, or your secretary if you’re fortunate enough to have one, to screen calls. Quiet hours work best when they’re department-wide (even company wide) and at the same time.

What Causes the Interruptions?

It’s helpful to look for patterns in the interruptions -- log your interruptions for a week. Note who, when, the reason, and how long. At end of the week, study the log to see which interruptions were unnecessary, and which could have been prevented by better planning or better communication.

People don’t always interrupt out of thoughtlessness or a desire to socialize. If you’re rarely available, people will interrupt you because they know they must grab you when they can. The solution is to schedule regular check-in times for updates from people you must talk to often; and ask them to save up their questions so they can cover several points at once. Your assistant could check in with you three times a day instead of 20.

Make sure you give sufficiently detailed instruction to co-workers so they don’t have to keep coming back to you with questions. Also, give them some leeway -- empower those you delegate to so they can decide some things on their own. Make it clear what questions are serious enough to warrant coming back to you, and let them use their judgment on the rest.


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Jan Jasper has been training busy people to work smarter, not harder, since 1988. She helps clients streamline their procedures, use technology efficiently, and manage task & information overload. Jan is the author of TAKE BACK YOUR TIME: HOW TO REGAIN CO