Results of the poll ‘most common distractions at work’
In our recent poll we asked you what you consider to be the most common distractions at work. You responded as follows –
27% of you said – Ineffective communication
24% said – Interruptions
19% said – Lack of focus
16% said – Unproductive meetings
14% said – Tasks with unclear purpose
Our experience matches yours. Working in the personal development arena with organisations, ineffective communication is the major distraction followed closely by persistent interruptions. One tends to follow the other – ineffective communication leads to constant interruptions as people pursue two basic needs:
1) The need to clarify what they are supposed to be doing
2) The need to feel engaged due to an uncertain purpose in their role.
Resolving this dilemma requires a dual approach. You first need to accept that you are partly responsible for distracting others, and do something to limit this. You can also manage interruptions from others better so that you are able to focus and concentrate when you need to.
There are a number of things you can do about this dual responsibility –
- Before you do anything be clear about the purpose for doing it. If you can’t find one, don’t do it. Work without a purpose is a mindless exercise.
- Make sure you have a clear outcome for everything you do. Make sure you know what it should look like when it is completed. Be as clear as you possibly can before you start.
- Have the skill level to complete the work – if you haven’t then find someone to teach you.
- Be curious about behaviours you don’t understand. Instead of judging them be curious about the causes and if necessary offer help.
- Make it your business to learn how people communicate. Some do it visually, some through their feelings and some in an auditory fashion. If you learn to match these you will increase the understanding of your message significantly.
- Make it your business to understand what is important to other people. This will dictate their willingness to listen and become involved in your projects.
- Use e-mail to send information only to people who need to know. Resist the temptation to copy in the world and his wife.
- As far as possible communicate ideas and opinions face to face or on the telephone. E-mail is not the forum for this type of exchange. Email is useful for relaying facts only.
- Use meetings for generating ideas and being creative. Information can be sent by e-mail or in a report.
- Don’t respond to everything as it happens. If you must ask someone a question, how important is it to ask right now? Be sensitive to the need for others to concentrate and have uninterrupted time.
How do you react when you are interrupted?
Not surprisingly the way you react when you are interrupted will play a large part in how people perceive you, which in turn will have a major impact on your level of acceptance and credibility within your organisation. Do you react differently to different people? What is it that causes you to do this? What is your normal response to being interrupted? Are you happy with this? Imagine being the other person, would you be happy with your response? Maybe you are always helpful thus encouraging people to come to you when they need something or for ideas. Whilst this is very commendable it probably leaves wanting in relation to your own work. Or maybe you are not very helpful, in which case people will avoid asking you for things. Remember though that when you want something you may find yourself out in the cold.
As always life is about balance – here are some tips to deal with interruptions –
- Develop an ‘interruption’ state of mind. Whatever the interruption you need to remain calm, relaxed and positive.
- Listen carefully to what is being asked. Assess the importance of this in relation to what you are doing right now and either do it or give a clear indication of when you can attend to it. Then make sure you keep to your word.
- For those people who interrupt because talking to you is preferable to getting on with their own job, be firm, tell them you would really like to join them for a chat over coffee or lunch later. For now you have something important to do which has to be finished. Remember that if you become embroiled in the conversation and you are in an open plan office not only are you being interrupted but you are interrupting all those people within hearing distance.
Consider others before interrupting them.
- Do you have to interrupt them right now? Can it wait?
- What do you know about the person you will be interrupting? Have they got a deadline looming? Can you help with it before attending to your own needs?
- Always ask if it is convenient? If not then set a mutually convenient time to return.
- Allow the person sufficient time to come to a convenient break in whatever they were doing when you interrupted.
Poor communication is often a misunderstanding between people based on lack of awareness. Unfortunately misunderstandings can get out of hand and quickly cause friction.
Not only is clarity of message vital but also an awareness of how it will be received. People interpret meaning based on their own set of filters. These filters are created by their individual values and beliefs. By addressing these values and beliefs you can create a sense of empowerment and motivation at one end of the spectrum or confusion and disillusionment at the other. Is your message having the desired affect ?
How high is your personal awareness ? …………
Final thought. Focus is very much dependant on purpose. If you can create a clear purpose, aligned to your teams values and beliefs, with clear expectation of desired behaviour and an environment conducive to achieving your goals then success is just around the corner.
