I know I receive several interruptions daily, but I was surprised to learn that most of us are being interrupted every 2 minutes! Can you relate?
At a previous company I worked for (where everyone started around the same time) the first hour of each day was designated as “quiet time.” I am a morning person, so I liked that mandate…but it didn’t suit everyone. Another employer encouraged staff to refrain from scheduling meetings on Fridays to allow everyone to “catch up” on their work. I also experienced a workplace where employees were told to schedule/block off time on their Outlook calendars to focus on big projects.
Meeting, email & text message interruptions are known as external noise, which come from the sight, sound, smell & feel of our environment. Other examples of external noise can include drop-ins by co-workers, incoming telephone calls, building construction & nearby conversations.
We also need to effectively manage internal noise, which encompasses our personal thoughts, feelings & beliefs. Examples may include daydreaming, hunger, headaches, fear/nervousness, close-mindedness & negativity/sarcasm.
Do you want to know more about how to navigate the daily interruptions of both external & internal noise to be more productive? Reach out to R U Ready To Achieve to learn more about time management.
