Rebecca BraglioCommunity Engagement Specialist II| Project Management InstituteNewtown Square, Pa, United States
Are you often interrupted when trying to get work done? I'm finding that I'm getting off track more and more lately because of frequent interruptions...from all angles (co-workers, family)
Who interrupts you the most? Is it external clients? Internal clients? Managers, colleagues? Or do you get more interruptions of a personal nature (friends and family)? Saving Changes...
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Elizabeth HarrinDirector| RebelsGuideToPM.comLondon, England, United Kingdom
I'm interrupted more by my own inability to stick with something. Whether that's something cool I've seen on social media or my need to constantly check my emails.
But to answer your question, it's internal customers, my own team members and people in my department. Because I feel if they are asking a question they need a response - they wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. Saving Changes...
Anne OnufrykPersonal development Coach and trainer| Anne OnufrykEnglesqueville La Percée, France
I agree with Elizabeth the team members are those who interrupt me most. But this also confirms that if you lead a team of people, part of your time must be dedicated to them so we should not consider it an interruption and instead put in place a good working environment in which they agree that they get all the necessary information and on time responses to continue their work. But I cannot avoid spending time with them each day.
All the other groups you mention are also source of interruption. Although I love to provide an immediate answer I have started to get them used to waiting a bit until I am available for them. This is very seldom that there is an emergency that cannot wait a few hours. If there is one I believe I would feel it and would make an exception. Saving Changes...
Kevin GebertDirector of Marketing| IBMS GlobalCo, United States
it's easy to ignore (temporarily) phone calls and emails but drop-ins from team members need to be dealt with. You never want to discourage them from coming by to talk to you. Many times it may not be that important but it is always worth a listen. What is important to them may not be particularly important for you but the reverse may also the case at times. If you don't show a willingness to listen to the "little things" they won't bother to tell you the "big things" when the time comes. Saving Changes...
José FélixProject Manager| SAECON ProyectosToluca, Mexico, Mexico
What interesting question, this is the kind of question and discussions that reminds us that we are human beings equipped with emotions. You know, I do not know how is the job as a project manager in other sectors, I work as a project manager in construction projects and believe me, no matter how well you plan the project, during construction there is no one single day I can be quiet in my office monitoring the project or whatever, we always have different things to do, different decisions to take, etc. Always happen, I am in my office trying to focus in something and hundreds of emails (how I miss those days without Internet!) are arriving, the phone start ringing, some coworkers needs my help, the manager of the contractor needs I take some decision, etc.
My reflection here is, maybe we are involved in a very demanding job, in a work environment in which you can hardly concentrate with so many interruptions, there are only two options: Or seek a quieter job of learn to deal with these interruptions and enjoy every time someone needs our help and some friend interrupt just to say hello.
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Well, it is impossible to avoid interruptions, so, it is both a challenge and a learning opportunity for our own communication and time management skills. I tried to apply the idea I read somewhere (cannot recall exactly where and when) about “open” and “closed” hours in the day, determined by priorities (urgency and importance) on the ToDo list. When I am dealing with something urgent and important, I usually let my colleagues know that I tend to focus and will most probably not respond to their requests until the task is completed. Since that would not last for more than few hours within the workday, their needs for my assistance (or advice or decision) will get accommodated in due time. The same rule applies in the opposite direction, of course: when they work on something urgent and important; I am fine waiting until they finish the task. Saving Changes...
