interruptions

Here’s How Long It Takes Most People to Get Back to Work After Getting Distracted

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Distractions

When you’re at work, it can sometimes be difficult to focus on one task for a long period of time. There are just so many distractions and interruptions! Your coworkers stop by to chat. You get an email that must be answered immediately. You need to run to a meeting. Or you just feel the sudden urge to reorganize the movies on your Netflix queue.

We all get distracted while we’re working. That’s not surprising. But what is surprising is how long it takes the average person to re-focus on work after being distracted.

A recent study conducted at the University of California, Irvine indicated that most people take 23 minutes and 15 seconds to recover from an interruption. That’s actually a pretty long time, and it can really add up over the course of a day.

There are a couple exceptions to this rule:

  • If the interruption has to do with the work that you’re doing (for instance, if a coworker stops by to ask a question about the project that you’re currently working on), it can actually be beneficial and help you to focus.
  • If the interruption only requires a very basic, automatic response (for instance, if someone asks you to sign a form), this generally won’t cause a significant break in your concentration.

But any sort of significant distraction (like chatting with a coworker about the most recent episode of your favorite TV show) can cause you to lose your train of thought. And you might need to take 23 minutes and 15 seconds to get back on track.

Now this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take breaks! Taking breaks during your workday is a healthy habit and will help you to be more productive in the long run. But if you’re really trying to get a project done or meet a tight deadline, do yourself a favor. Help yourself to focus by cutting out as many distractions as you can.

 

Wong, K. (2015, July 29). How long it takes to get back on track after a distraction. LifeHacker. Retrieved from https://lifehacker.com/how-long-it-takes-to-get-back-on-track-after-a-distract-1720708353

How to Interrupt a Coworker in a Nice Way

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Talkative

We all know it’s not nice to interrupt when other people are speaking. But what if you have a coworker who likes to talk a lot? And what if that coworker dominates every meeting and prevents you from speaking or sharing your ideas? It can get really frustrating, really fast.

So occasionally, you do need to interrupt. But how can you do it without making other people think you’re a loud jerk? Author Kat Boogaard suggests that you use one of the following phrases:

  • “I have something to add” – Boogaard doesn’t think you should ask for permission to speak. (So saying something like “Is it OK for me to share a few ideas?” is a no-no.) Instead, she believes that you should confidently and clearly indicate that you have something important to say. Other people will hear the authority in your voice and give you their attention.
  • “Let’s stop for a minute” – Your talkative coworker may not be a bad person. He or she may simply be extremely chatty and enthusiastic about the topic under discussion. The person may be talking so much that he or she doesn’t even realize that others aren’t getting the chance to process the information or participate in the conversation. So saying “let’s stop for a minute” gives everyone the opportunity to pause and collect their thoughts. (In my opinion, though, this phrase seems a little harsh. I’d probably only use it if my level of frustration were extremely high.)
  • “I’m curious to know what [Other Coworker] thinks about this” – Pulling another person into the conversation will hopefully break your chatty coworker’s momentum and allow other people to speak. You’re probably not the only person who wants to share some ideas. So your comment is sure to be appreciated.

 

Boogaard, K. (n.d.). 3 phrases that’ll stop a conversation hog from talking (and talking and talking). The Muse. Retrieved from https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-phrases-thatll-stop-a-conversation-hog-from-talking-and-talking-and-talking?ref=recently-published-0

Learning Interruptus?

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Multitasking

I was exploring the Masie’s Learning 2014 Conference website and came across a phrase that I had never seen before but knew exactly what it meant. Our team has had a few discussions on this exact topic, but we did not have a name for it. “Learning Interruptus,” what a perfect name!

For years, people have attended and completed courses that are one or more days long. But busy schedules make it more and more difficult for people to attend such lengthy courses. Although online courses and webinars offer opportunities to learn that are more compressed and controllable, many people start a course but never complete it because of constant interruptions during their work days.

Elliott Masie has defined a few types of Learning Interruptus:

  • Distraction and Work Conflicts: You start to watch a powerful 18 minute TED Talk about leadership styles. The phone rings, a colleague drops by, or your mind wanders to other projects. So you pause the TED Video, hoping to return, but you don’t. Learning Interruptus.
  • Multitasking Becomes Shifting: You start a webinar, prepared to focus on the designated topic. Multitasking takes over and soon you’re reading your email, editing documents, or eating lunch while the webinar continues. You could always go back and watch it again as a streamed segment, but you don’t. Learning Interruptus.
  • Come Back Next Week, Please!: You sign up for an eight-week online course. The first and second weeks are good, efficient, and interesting. By the third week, your attention and priorities shift. So the eight-week program stops at week two. Why didn’t you finish? Learning Interruptus.

I know I have “been there and done that” with at least one of these types. I am sure most of you can relate to these as well. What will the future of workplace learning look like? Only time will tell. I know it has been on all of our minds here at Learning Solutions, and we are continuously working to adjust our approaches and methodologies to make sure our employees are given the chance to learn.

 

TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments

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Everyday_Leadership

Please join us for the live event, “TouchPoints: Creating Powerful Leadership Connections in the Smallest of Moments.”

The information age has morphed into the “interruption” age. People are swamped with work and emails. And just when they hunker down to get something done, a colleague knocks on the door. Or the phone rings. People tend to push these interruptions aside to focus on the “real work.” But in his counterintuitive webcast, Doug Conant (the former CEO of the Campbell Soup Company) shows us how these brief interactions are the “real work” today and they will be even more so tomorrow. The secret lies in one simple, but powerful notion: The action is in the interaction.

The session will be facilitated by Louis Biggie from JHU’s Talent Management and Organization Development office. Before and after the webcast, Louis will lead a discussion that will help you apply Conant’s concepts to your own situation.

Location: East Baltimore Auditorium. 2024 E. Monument Street.  Suite 2-1002
Date:        September 25, 2014
Time:       11:30am – 2:00pm

Please bring a brown bag lunch to enjoy during the event. Registration is limited to 60 participants. Click this link to reserve your seat today.