MAKING THE LEAST OF INTERRUPTIONS


	You feel fresh, confident, brimming with ideas.  Then  the
phone rings.  The mail arrives.  An employee knocks.  Your boss pops
in.  Before you know it, your concentration is gone.

	Interruptions can drive you to distraction. Fortunately, they
don't have to.  Here are some ways to steer clear of interruptions and
stay on the road to accomplishment.

	1.  KNOW YOUR PRIORITIES.   List your most important
activities at the start of every day.  Your list will help you stay
focused on what really needs to be done--and get you back on track
when your concentration is disturbed.

	2.  GET TO INTERRUPTIONS BEFORE THEY GET TO YOU.   Set aside time every
day to discuss your employees' concerns--
preferably at their workstations rather than yours.  Keep necessary
interruptions brief by encouraging employees to bring solutions
when they come to you with problems.

	If your boss interrupts too often, suggest that regular brief
meetings to talk about your activities might be more efficient for
both of you.

	3.  STAND UP FOR YOUR TIME.  To discourage visitors from
lingering at the end of a conversation, stand up and move toward the
door.

	Hold meetings somewhere other than your office, so you can
leave more easily when it's time to go.  When you need private time,
escape to a conference room, an empty office, or even a nearby
library.

	4.  KEEP YOUR WORKPLACE WORK-LIKE.  Don't make it so comfy
that everyone who passes will want to stop in.  And when you're
concentrating, put a sign on your door or your desk--like "On
Deadline" or "Experimenting to See How Long I Can Concentrate"--to
encourage visitors to think twice before entering.

	5.   PUT YOUR SCHEDULE TO WORK FOR YOU.  Schedule
appointments with yourself to work on important projects.  Schedule
phone time by returning calls at specific points in your work day.
And schedule foreseeable interruptions into a block of time set aside
for attending to detail.

	6.  RESPECT THE TIME OF OTHERS.   Think before you interrupt
someone else.  Let people know their time is valuable to you.  If you
do, it won't be long before they start showing you the same courtesy.

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