Interruptions

Time Management

Interruptions
by Peggy Morrow



Do you ever wonder where your workday goes? Well, here are some interesting statistics on the use of time. See how you compare.

According to research, the average person gets one interruption every eight minutes or approximately seven an hour. The average interruption takes five minutes, totaling about four hours, or 50 percent of the average workday. Eighty percent of those interruptions are typically rated as "little or no value". This creates approximately three hours of wasted time per day. Wow! No wonder everyone feels so time pressured.

It’s obvious that controlling interruptions is critical to making the best use of your time. Why don’t you start by gathering everyone on your team together and discussing interruptions and make a plan on how you can control them in your office?

Maybe you could all agree to put signs on your desk when you need uninterrupted work time, or get an agreement that interruptions would only come at certain times of the day. Some offices I have worked with have agreed that every morning from nine to ten and every afternoon from three to four are designated as "no interruption" times. Other times are okay for interruptions. Decide what will work for you.

Another other interesting statistic on the matter of time use is that 20 percent of the average workday is spent on "crucial" and "important" things, while 80 percent of the average workday is spent on things that have little or no value. I know I am guilty of that. I sometimes tend to do the things I "feel like" doing and neglect some things that are more important. That’s one reason why deadlines are so energizing. It makes us have to put that task at the top of the list.

A way around that is to ruthlessly prioritize your "to do" list. Put an "A" by the things that are the most critical and important and then number them in the order of priority. Stick with this list until something else comes along that is even more urgent. Then, when you have put out that fire, you can return to your prioritized list. This technique will help keep you focused on the things that are really critical and help you avoid procrastination.

Are you feeling more pressured and stressed than in year’s past? Well, it isn’t your imagination. According to experts, in the last 20 years, working time has increased by 15 percent and leisure time has decreased by 33 percent. So you are not alone in that feeling.

That’s why the use of time management techniques is so important today. In fact, the average person uses 13 different methods to control and manage their time. It might be the prioritizing method I mentioned before. It might be using various techniques to control interruptions or to shorten telephone conversations. Whichever you choose, now is the time to brush up on your time management skills and to implement a few more of them into your daily routines.

Here’s an exercise to do as a time management "eye-opener." Get several slips of paper or index cards. Then, write on each card how you "spent" your last 24 hours. Decide how much time you spent sleeping, eating, meeting, projects, supervising, telephoning, driving, watching TV, spending time with your family. Write the task and the time spent on each card. You will be amazed at how many hours you can’t even account for! After you complete the exercise, decide if this is really how you want to spend your time. If not, do something about it.


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Peggy Morrow is an author, consultant and professional speaker on the subjects of customer service management, teams and time management. To have her work with your group, contact her via her web page at www.peggymorrow.com.