Secret of the Interruption

Have you ever hear statements like these:

"As soon as we can afford it we'll . . .

• get married
• have children
• retire
• take a vacation
• etc."

or, "As soon as things calm down . . . "

You know what's coming, don't you?  If you wait until you have enough money to do any of the things listed above, you certainly won't do any of them.  Same thing with waiting until things calm down - they don't (calm down), in fact if anything things seem to keep moving faster and faster.

This the secret of the interruption - There will ALWAYS be interruptions!  You can moan and complain about them or you can learn to manage them for success.  Here are four ways to manage your interruptions.

1. This is first on purpose:  Of all that you do, do you know which pieces or parts are used by others (customer, peers, and supervisors) to gauge your competence and success?  I call these the Non-Negotiables.  In one of my previous positions, among the many responsibilities I had was the responsibility to schedule faculty for classes.  My perspective was that if an Instructor was incorrectly scheduled or not scheduled, students might forgive the first time, begin to suspect incompetence the second time, and start looking for another institution the third time.  My goal was '0' instances of scheduling errors; this was a Non-Negotiable.  Because of this I knew of the many things on my plate which one to push up to the front, even if other things didn't get finished.  There are not enough hours in a day to finish everything, even without interruptions.  When you know which parts mean the difference between success and failure you can better focus yourself to make sure those parts always get done, regardless - and that may mean coming early, working late, etc.
2. Make the interruptions an opportunity for enhancing relationships.  All of life can be reduced to relationships.  Instead of making those who have interrupted you feel like time-wasters and annoyances which you have to put up with, change your perspective and welcome the opportunity to build a stronger relationship.  I admit there is a balance in this but people who feel valued are more likely to be fully engaged themselves and it definitely creates a better work environment for everyone.  When you are working against a time-line and are interrupted, be candid about the time-line and setup a time for a later meeting.  If the interruption is unavoidable, keep in mind number one above and make sure you deliver the non-negotibles . . . without damaging relationships in the process.
3. Look for opportunity in every interruption.  I'm a big beliver that all things happen for a purpose (Rom. 8:28), even when we can't see or understand what that purpose might be.  Instead of whining about the interruptions, look and see how the interruption might bring a benefit to you, or the circumstances, or the company, etc.  Sometimes the interruption may truly be described as a catastrophe, even here, for those with the right attitude, there is the possibility of opportunity.  This perspective also has the effect of allowing some calming energy to come into what might otherwise be stressful.  Let's face it, the interruption has happened, very little you can say or do will change that, so instead of wasting emotional energy on what can't be changed, focus instead on what might come of the interruption.  Many of the major breaktroughs in science might be considered interruptions, e.g. Penecillin, post-it notes, etc.
4. Be aware that you cause interruptions for others! Try to make sure your interruption isn't just a gripe session but brings some kind of value.  Keep in mind that your interruption may be impacting their Non-Negotiable and be sensitive to the demands on their time.  If you need to vent, be careful to do that appropriately.  If you believe that whatever you say, no matter how good the friend you are speaking with, will eventually come back to you from another source, you will be wise.

These are the four ways to manage interruptions.  Since I'm sure you will be interrupted soon, practice them and let me know how it goes.