Tips for Maintaining Productivity During Workplace Interruptions

Busy managers, I have a question: Do you ever continually try to time block and tackle a growing stack of important tasks, but you keep getting interrupted? Here’s a quick #productivityhack to help you out of the following typical dilemma for busy managers: You want to time block and tackle an important task, but you can’t. You step into your office, close the door, and silence your phone, preparing to get the work done. But you keep getting interrupted by teammates who need help putting out brushfires. So, you take twice as long as you should to get the task done. Or worse, you give up on the task to go put out operational fires. My leadership team and I had this same issue about a year ago. We were trying to implement the concept of time blocking across the leadership team, but it seemed like every time one of us needed to retreat to our office and focus on deep work, there was inevitably an interruption. Here’s the solve: We ordered these red light/green light switches on Amazon. We installed one on each manager’s door. If the light is green, the manager is doing typical work and can be interrupted. If the light is red, the manager is doing time-blocked deep work and should only be interrupted in case of an absolute emergency. This simple solution has been a game changer. Now, teammates know when it’s perfectly acceptable to barge in, and when it’s not. Managers can feel the freedom to time block and focus on deep work when necessary, without constantly looking at the door. Note: You’ll need to patiently explain to your team what the green light/red light settings mean, and why time blocking is so important. Don’t just expect them to know not to barge in when you’re switched to red! The brushfires they need help with are important too — so explaining the “why” is crucial. And it doesn’t have to be just for managers — that’s simply where our team started to solve our pressing need. This could also be beneficial for frontline teammates. What’s your favorite productivity hack? #productivity #timeblocking #management #LewisOnMission

Whenever I get interrupted, it takes me 15 - 30 min to recover my zone. Do you ever have one of those days when you end up exhausted but can't list the things you finished? I bet money that day was full of meetings or full of interruptions. Interruptions when you're "in the zone" are problematic, especially with complex issues. You have to switch context, which comes with a price; you lost track. This is how I get things done: 𝗜 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿. It could be for 25 minutes or 1 hour, whatever works for you. I find my sweet spot at 2 hours; during that time, my only mission is my task. 𝗜 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗛𝗼𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹. Shoulder taps are not the only interruptions; you have Slack, Teams, you name it, and all those notifications can take you off track in seconds. But if there is a production issue, you have to fix it no matter what. So, I created a chat for priority issues, and I get notified if I get tagged. 𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. I work from home 90% of the time, so I have a Do Not Disturb sign on my door. I also set my chat status to "Do Not Disturb." 𝗜 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. You need to make yourself available for your team. I have slots during the day to handle: - emails - calls - other minor tasks to Less context switching, more things done! 𝗜 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗸 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀. Before attending to an interruption, write down a few quick notes about: - where you are in your current task - who you get there again Quick notes can act as "bookmarks" to help you resume your original task. Are you good at context-switching? Really? Share some other tricks to protect your time and get things done! #softwaredevelopment #timemanagement #focusonyourgoals

Are you tired of feeling like a hamster on a wheel, constantly running but never getting ahead? After over 30 years in firms, I've learned and seen first hand that effective time management is the key to taking control of your workday and reaching peak performance. So, here I am, sharing my no-nonsense strategies to maximize productivity: Prioritize like a Boss: Take charge of your day by identifying your top priorities. Cut through the noise and focus on the tasks that truly move the needle. Don't waste time on the trivial stuff; tackle the big wins first. Time Block: Don't let distractions derail your progress. Take control of your schedule by blocking chunks of dedicated time for specific tasks or projects. This way, you can dive deep without getting sidetracked by interruptions. Delegate or Die: Superheroes don't exist in the workplace. Learn to let go and delegate tasks that can be handled by capable team members. Save your superpowers for the work that truly demands your expertise and amplifies your impact. Crush Distractions: It's time to put an end to mindless scrolling, relentless notifications, and unnecessary meetings. Close those extra tabs, set your phone on silent, and create a fortress of focus. Your productivity will skyrocket. Make Time for Breaks: Working non-stop doesn't make you a hero; it makes you burnt out. Take regular breaks to recharge your mind and prevent creative stagnation. A quick walk, a moment to stretch, or some deep breathing can revitalize your energy and ignite your productivity. These strategies have been battle-tested and proven to maximize workdays in firms all over the world. No fluff, no gimmicks, just solid techniques that allow you to dominate your schedule and achieve your goals. It's time to take charge and make every minute count. How do you maximize your workday? Share your tips below! #TimeManagement #MaximizeProductivity #WorkplaceEngagement #ProfessionalDevelopment

Life hack: Use this sign to become indistractable. Focus is powerful. But how do we stay focused with so many distractions? Let me tell you a story… A few years ago, I presented to hundreds of people at a virtual town hall when my husband burst into my office and asked, "𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗽?" He had a lunch emergency right in the middle of my big presentation. My train of thought derailed, and the flow of my presentation was lost. My emotions and thoughts were all over the place, but I held it together. I delivered a decent presentation, and everyone laughed, but I never fully regained my focus during that meeting. (Thankfully, I can laugh about it now!) This funny yet disruptive interruption highlights the pitfalls of task switching. Task switching is costly. According to the American Psychological Association: - Each switch costs about 23 minutes of concentration. - 40% of productive time is lost.  - Decreases memory retention. - Harder to enter and maintain the flow state. - Depletes cognitive resources, leading to poor decisions and more mistakes. Managing distractions is the key to staying focused and productive. In his book Indistractable, Nir Eyal provides a practical model to combat these challenges:  𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹: 1. 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀:  - Identify and manage distractions from within. 2. 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:  - Plan and allocate time for focused work. 3. 𝗛𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀:  - Minimize interruptions from the outside. 4. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗣𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀:  - Create precommitments to stay on track. _____ The book provided a wealth of knowledge and practical tools and also included a tear-out sign (see photo). I keep this on my office door when I need to focus. If only I had this the day my husband couldn't find the ketchup! _____ How do you manage to be indistractable? Find this insightful? Share this with others. ♻️   Follow me (Amy Misnik, Pharm.D.) and hit the (🔔) for more content like this.

Many founders don't realize how interrupt-driven the role is, and it can be a difficult adjustment if they're coming from a career where they were able to do long stretches of heads down work. While there's likely no escaping the interrupt-driven nature of an early stage startup, there are some things you can do to make it less overwhelming: ▪ Delegate: The more responsibility you give to others, the less likely you'll need to give input on every situation that arises. ▪ Communicate: In order for delegation to be successful, the person delegating needs to have a good understanding of your philosophies and goals. Don't make them guess, or else you may have to undo a bunch of well-intentioned decisions. ▪ Set boundaries: It's okay to block time on your calendar or let your team know you need some uninterrupted time. Just make sure you're still reachable in an emergency/urgent scenario (and try to define what that means as best as possible) ▪ Set aside intentional time for interruptions: Okay, this one sounds counterintuitive, but the truth is... a lot of interruptions didn't necessarily need to be interruptions. If your team has dedicated times to talk through decisions with you, it can make your day seem less fragmented. As a bonus, sometimes the fact that they'll need to wait a little bit to get an answer means they'll solve the problem themselves, or at least come up with some more creative potential solutions. #work #founders #startups #advice