Maintaining focus and reducing interruptions

Question

Locking doors or putting on headphones is more of an avoidance strategy which tends to reduce productivity. Instead, I'm looking for ways to increase productivity.

How do you maintain focus and reduce interruptions in your workplace?

Answer 1

I've had limited success advocating instant messaging. The problem with IM is that people always expect an instant reply. If I ignore/disable the flashing window and sound effects I find a visitor at my door shortly later asking why I didn't reply.

Answer 2

To keep a pesky manager from asking me "is it done yet" every other hour, I setup an issue tracking solution. It took a while to get him and others to actually enter issues into it, and I only sold it to the manager when I showed off its milestone progress bars, but it has been a mostly effective solution.

Answer 3

You could try to politely explain to your colleagues that you need time to concentrate during a certain part of the day.

Put an auto-reply on your email, an away message on your IM or perhaps a sign on your door.

I've found that when people truly respect you and you ask them for some peace and quiet, they'll usually comply.

Answer 4

Turn off my email client or set it to only check email every hour or so. It takes a while for people to get used to a slower turnaround time on email, but it greatly reduces interruptions and helps me stay focussed.

Answer 5

A couple of times when I've had something specific to slog through for a couple of hours I've booked a meeting room for a couple of hours and taken my laptop in there. No phone, no email, and peace and quiet. The meeting room isn't suitable for all tasks, and it assumes you have a laptop, but it works well when I have a design doc to get finished or a tender response to prepare.

Answer 6

A counterexample: (i.e.: this doesn't work!)

I used to work in a large cube farm, and people being interrupted by people "dropping by" at people's desks was a huge problem. One of the managers came up with the idea of a little red flag that as mounted to the top of each person's cubicle. When they were in "focus time" they raised their little flag, and that was supposed to be a signal to other people not to interrupt them.

It did not work at all. The most common phrase in the building became, "I know you've got your little flag up, but..."

Answer 7

1. I block out time on my calendar for real work
2. I turn off email, and sometimes set an OOF (out of office message) saying I'm working on something and reply to email may be delayed.
3. I forward my phone to voice mail and turn off the ringer.
4. I turn off the ringer on my cell phone (i call my wife to let her know I'm incommunicado)
5. I'm fortunate to have an office, so I close my door and the blinds. At Microsoft this means "go away".
6. I put a sign on my door that says "Email Only". This is also common at Microsoft.
7. I turn off Office Communicator and Live Messenger
8. If people interrupt me anyway, I ask them to send mail and come back later - I do my best to not let them intrude.
9. I come in about two hours before everyone else.

Some people on my team go work from home when they need peace and quiet. That's quite common at Microsoft as well.

Answer 8

1. go get a coffee
2. bring some peanuts (if dont like peanuts, bring some snack)
3. take a laptop
4. find a dark... remote part of the office (helps if you have a large building)
5. plugin or connect to wireless
6. remote back to your cubicals desktop
7. turn your BB off or set it on phone mode
8. enjoy the productivity you gained

+5 INT for creativity...

Answer 9

Close the door, Close the browser, (esp if StackOverflow is open) and email, turn on the tunes.

Answer 10

I have a friend who has noise-canceling headphones which he wears when he doesn't want to be disturbed. It works pretty well for him.

I find a quiet coffee shop with WiFi access in which to hide. I tuck into a corner and face the wall so I'm not distracted. If there's too much ambient noise I play some environmental sounds from my iPod with the volume down low.

Answer 11

Pair programming with a co-worker:

1. people are less likely to disturb the two of you, because they see you working
2. you are not tempted to read email, im, etc.
3. when loosing focus you can switch roles but keep being productive

Answer 12

If I am at home I turn on my music and turn it up and shut my door. If you can hear my music from about 5 feet from my door while closed, I am at the end of a hall, you know not to bother me.

At work I get few emails, is very weird, but just putting on my "Big" headphones means i am in deep thought try again when they aren't on or I have my smaller set on.

While these aren't specific to being more productive the are queues that tell people to go away I probably wont be answering your question even if you ask. The key is not to over do it if you do then people just ignore it and ask stuff anyway.