Better Business Coaching

Shorten the length of interruptions

Control the time

Reducing the time of interruptions needs you to take control of the situation. Asking how long the person needs right at the start of the conversation will help them realize there is a time limit for unscheduled discussions. If they need longer than you can spare right now, get your diary out and make an appointment.

Summarize

Summarizing the main points helps the pace, shows the other person you understand the points and helps brings the conversation to a close. It may also help to keep the meeting brief if you can discourage the interrupter from sitting down.

Create free time

Open door times

Setting aside specific times during the day perhaps one hour in the morning and again in the afternoon when colleagues can take 5 or 10 minutes of your time. This lets people know that you are available during the day but that they need to think twice and justify an interruption ‘out of hours’.

Manage your e-mails

You can also help your time management by not having your inbox open on your computer all day. Constantly checking your e-mails can be a huge interruption to your thought process. If you have a set time in the morning then again in the afternoon to deal with your e-mails, it can less disruptive than dealing with them as they come in.

Phones

Make sure that you are not the first one in line of pick-up for telephone calls. If possible get others to field your calls and let them know when you are and are not available to take calls. This may mean they can have access to your diary or schedule to know when you are around and or available.

Remember…

It is the role of the leader of the company to spend about 80% of their time working on growing and improving the business and only 20% of their time working in the business, physically doing a job. Many business owners find that split very uncomfortable but if you are not working on growing your business and your competitors are – you will get left behind.