How to Handle Interruptions at Work:
The Top Ten Dos, Don’ts and PowerPhrases to Get Rid of the
Talkative Coworker, Cut Down on Distractions and Manage
the Ultimate Challenge of Office Etiquette...Interruptions

            

The “Got a Minute” Syndrome
They stand by your desk, clear their throat and ask, “Got a minute?” You know what they’re really asking – “Are you doing something that is more important than I am?” Ask yourself the same question.

Productivity and success come from understanding and honoring your true priorities. That means not indulging in distractions, side roads and detours from what needs to be done.

That doesn’t mean being rude, being unavailable to coworkers who legitimately need you or ignoring the big picture of one of the biggest challenges of office etiquette- interruptions.

Here are some tips that can help you manage your interruptions at work.

1. Anticipate what people might need later to minimize future interruptions

DON’T: think short-term when you provide information, give instructions or offer support. Why not?: Thorough explanations now will save interruptions in the future.
DO: anticipate what someone is likely to need to know or to have later so they won’t interrupt you when they do.
POWER PHRASE / What to say: “Here are the directions you’ll need when you go.”
POISON PHRASE / What not to say: I’ll give you directions closer to the date…

2. Leave detailed messages that elicit a quick, complete response

DON’T: leave a message that says, “Call me.” Why not?: That invites an interruption.
DO: leave a message that the receiver can respond yes or no to, enabling the message to be completed via voice mail.
POWER PHRASE / What to say: “The meeting is set for 4:30 Wednesday. Please confirm.”
POISON PHRASE / What not to say: Call me about the meeting.

3. Encourage interrupters to find their own answers, and help them discover how

DON’T: automatically give answers they could find themselves. Why not?: It encourages them to ask you for answers because it’s easier for them, which discourages learning and self-sufficiency.
DO: take the time (even though it increases the length of the interruption) to show them how they can access information themselves.
POWER PHRASE / What to say: “I get that information from the procedures manual. Let’s go to it and I’ll show you where it is.”
POISON PHRASE / What not to say: The answer is…

4. Respond to interruptions in a way that encourages the behavior you want

DON’T: minimize the impact and act too eager to drop everything, but also don’t act irritated and overly reluctant to respond. Why not?: If you act too eager, the interrupter assumes you welcome the interruption and is more likely to interrupt in the future. If you act too reluctant, the interrupter might hesitate to interrupt at a time they really need you. DO: be clear, pleasant and professional.
POWER PHRASE / What to say: “I’m working on an urgent proposal, but let’s see if I can help you quickly.”
POISON PHRASE / What not to say: - No problem. By the way, how are the kids? Or... <SIGH> You again? What do you need now?

5. Determine the urgency of interruptions

DON’T: automatically assume their need is more important than what you’re working on. Why not?: While their presence creates a sense of urgency, responding to them might take you away from a higher priority. Also, by determining urgency you signal that you have other priorities besides theirs.
DO: ask about the nature of the interruption before consenting to it.
POWER PHRASE / What to say: “Can it wait?” “Is this urgent?” “Can I help you when I complete this in two hours?”
POISON PHRASE / What not to say: - Oh, that’s okay, I wasn’t busy. (When you were.)

6. When it’s your boss, let him/her know what the interruption is taking you away from

DON’T: decide that since it’s the boss you have to reprioritize. Why not?: Your boss doesn’t know what’s on your plate, even if he or she put it there.
DO: let the boss know that you’re happy to accommodate him or her but it will cause a delay in some other project.
POWER PHRASE / What to say: “I can meet with you now if you’d like, but it will put me behind on the proposal that needs to go out in today’s Fed-Ex pick-up. Is that acceptable?”
POISON PHRASE / What not to say: -(After the fact.) I couldn’t get the proposal ready in time for the pick-up because we met for an hour this afternoon about the compensation plan.

7. Negotiate interruption policies

DON’T: “swat flies” and improvise each incident separately. Why not? “It’s better to cut off a puppy dog’s tail with one swipe.” Ongoing issues are best dealt with as a group, and policies established.
DO: collaborate an interruption policy that meets their needs while minimizing your disruption.
POWER PHRASE / What to say: “I want to give you the support you need, but I find it disrupts my concentration to stop what I’m doing and answer your questions. Could you save your questions and ask them all, once a day?” “I’m happy to help you with information you can’t get on your own. I would appreciate it if you’d try to get your own answer first, and contact me if you can’t find it. Would that work for you?”
POISON PHRASE / What not to say: - Stop bothering me. Or: Now is not a good time when the issue is a general lack of respect for your schedule.

8. Let people know when you’re particularly busy

 DON’T: use indirect signals or give someone the brush-off, hoping they’ll take the hint and leave you alone. Why not?: Indirect communication is passive-aggressive and unclear. People often take such signals personally.
DO: tell them directly what your situation is.
POWER PHRASE / What to say: “Now is not a good time for me. I’ll be done with this at 3:00.“ (Or put up a sign that says, “Under deadline. Please give me until 3:00.”)
POISON PHRASE / What not to say: - <SIGH> Uh, did you say something?

9. Focus the long-winded

DON’T: patiently listen to a rambler when you have other things to do. Why not?: It wastes both of your time.
DO: get them focused on what they need, even if it requires interrupting a rant.
POWER PHRASE / What to say: “I want to help you but I need to get back to work. Can you summarize what I can do for you?”
POISON PHRASE / What not to say: - And your point is…?

10. Encourage self-sufficiency whenever possible

DON’T: hold on to responsibilities others can handle on their own. Why not?: Many interruptions could be avoided entirely by empowering people to meet their own needs.
DO: create an interruption log and see what interruptions patterns you discover. Change what you can to minimize other’s need to access you.
POWER PHRASE / What to say: “I’ve noticed that in the course of a day I spend 20 minutes getting requisition forms for department members. That’s why I have the forms in the hall for you to access yourself.
POISON PHRASE / What not to say: - N/A

Control Your Interruptions. Don’t let them control you.
If you feel out of control due to interruptions, it’s time to take the bull by the horns and become the master of interruptions. Once you learn how to handle interruptions at work, your efficiency will soar.


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Meryl Runion and Speak Strong (SpeakStrong) provides Power Phrases (PowerPhrases) and other tools to help you improve communication skills at work and at home.

She is the author of the books PowerPhrases!, How to Use PowerPhrases, Perfect Phrases for Managers and Supervisors and How to Say It: Performance Reviews. She can be reached at 719-684-2633 or by email: