Time management - dealing with "interruptors" - part one
Time management - dealing with "interruptors" - part one
Start be establishing your own “interrupter priorities”. This starts with people who can interrupt you at virtually any time e.g. your boss, general manager, Customer etc. Secondly, those who can take your time when you are not particularly busy e.g. colleagues. Finally, those who you believe shouldn’t be allowed to take your time at all e.g. gossiping time-wasters. Establishing such a priority list in your head is a good starting point towards dealing with “interrupters”
But, make sure that relevant people e.g. team members know that, in a genuine emergency, you can always be interrupted. This doesn’t mean simply because they decide they need help!
Let your colleagues and team members know how you plan your day. Try and establish set times when it's best for people to come and see you
Deal with people who interrupt you routinely and for repetitive reasons. There may be a need for clearer goal-setting, task analysis or training (whether official, or simply you being helpful) to make them more confident in undertaking their tasks
With a chronic interrupter - before they can open their mouth, describe, in detail how busy you are. This makes it more difficult for them to try and burden you with even more
Time their interruptions! A wristwatch, stopwatch or even egg-timer can be used. When people ask: "Can you spare a couple of minutes" - you purposely allocate this exact amount of time. Keep checking as they talk!
Stand up to greet interrupters. They instantly feel less inclined to take a lot of your time - and it's easier to walk them towards the door or away from your work area! Standing up is also a useful technique when dealing with telephone interruptions - it makes you sound and feel more businesslike
Now, look for more great tips in part two!
Time management dealing with interruptors part one - To learn more about this author, visit Gordon Veniard's Website.
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Here are a range of ways you can use to try to deal with “interrupters”. Some are more serious than others, but all are aimed at getting your message across. Use the ones you feel comfortable with…
Start be establishing your own “interrupter priorities”. This starts with people who can interrupt you at virtually any time e.g. your boss, general manager, Customer etc. Secondly, those who can take your time when you are not particularly busy e.g. colleagues. Finally, those who you believe shouldn’t be allowed to take your time at all e.g. gossiping time-wasters. Establishing such a priority list in your head is a good starting point towards dealing with “interrupters”
But, make sure that relevant people e.g. team members know that, in a genuine emergency, you can always be interrupted. This doesn’t mean simply because they decide they need help!
Let your colleagues and team members know how you plan your day. Try and establish set times when it's best for people to come and see you
Deal with people who interrupt you routinely and for repetitive reasons. There may be a need for clearer goal-setting, task analysis or training (whether official, or simply you being helpful) to make them more confident in undertaking their tasks
With a chronic interrupter - before they can open their mouth, describe, in detail how busy you are. This makes it more difficult for them to try and burden you with even more
Time their interruptions! A wristwatch, stopwatch or even egg-timer can be used. When people ask: "Can you spare a couple of minutes" - you purposely allocate this exact amount of time. Keep checking as they talk!
Stand up to greet interrupters. They instantly feel less inclined to take a lot of your time - and it's easier to walk them towards the door or away from your work area! Standing up is also a useful technique when dealing with telephone interruptions - it makes you sound and feel more businesslike
Now, look for more great tips in part two!
Time management dealing with interruptors part one - To learn more about this author, visit Gordon Veniard's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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Stephanie RobeyStephanie Robey is President and CoFounder of Pivot Positive, LLC - an Internet marketing business focused on helping people start work at home ventures. Previously, she was employed at The Search Agency with over 20 years experience in graphic design and 10 years experience in online marketing. She was responsible for launching the Conversion Path Optimization (CPO) unit where she and her team have conducted hundreds of optimization tests for online companies across multiple verticals. She is a successful entrepreneur having started and sold 2 companies and remains on the board of directors of the third, PhotoSpin.com Stephanie began her career in the direct marketing realm creating and producing direct mail for many of the major cable television companies and directly attributes her understanding of Internet marketing to those early offline experiences. Stephanie is a graduate of San Diego State University with a BFA in Graphic Arts and also holds an Executive MBA from the Graziadio School of Business and Management at Pepperdine University. Read Steph's Blog Meet Steph and Dave Sign up for our Free 7-Day BootCamp: Self Employed & Rich - Visit Stephanie Robey's Website |
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