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Let me finish: how to stop interrupting… and change the world
Interruption Diminishes Us
Interruption is a destructive and violent act, and no matter what value the interrupter thinks that may be added by the very act of hedging one’s words in between, the speaker who is interrupted will never heal from the diminishing of his or her thoughts.
Constant interruption creates polarization among individuals and even inside us, and not interrupting may be the very glue that can keep society together.
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Key Ideas
Let it Go
Interruptions can be frustrating. But, the point here is that not all of them are worthy of addressing.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do when faced with an interruption is nothing at all,...
Set Expectations From The Beginning
Whether you’re speaking up in a team meeting or you’re conducting a presentation, it’s important to be clear that you'll need to get all of your ideas out there before opening the floor to questions and contributions.
This sets the tone right from the get-go that you’re aiming to share your ideas free of interruptions. This also makes it easy to halt an interrupter in his tracks.
Keep Going
Sometimes you can only fight fire with fire.
Refuse to pause for interruptions, and instead continue moving forward with your ideas. If needed, you can even pause for a second to address the interrupter and say, “one moment,” and then finish off your thought.
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Key Ideas
Planning for the unexpected
Many of us have very well laid-out to-do lists any daily plans. However, they do not reflect the reality of our everyday working life.
We will always be interrupted. If our mindset is to acc...
The specifics of your job
We let our planning focus on the tasks associated with the job. But we don't take into account all the aspects of our job.
Interacting with people can be part of the broader scope of your job. It means that interruptions are not actually non-productive aspects. They are actions that should get folded into the plan for each day.
Blocks of time
Some interruptions cannot be avoided. But, we can talk to people in advance about the best times to pop in. We can also schedule a time when we will not be available and would prefer not to be disturbed.
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Key Ideas
Daily interruptions
On average, we experience an interruption every 8 minutes or about 7 or 8 per hour. In an 8t-hour day, that is about 60 interruptions. The average interruption takes about 5 minutes, so that...
Myth of multitasking
We’re not actually multitasking; rather, we are switching rapidly between different activities.
Better concentration makes life easier and less stressful and we will be more productive. Practice concentration by finding things to do that specifically engage you for a period of time to the exclusion of everything else.
The ‘five more’ rule
... for learning to concentrate better:
Whenever you feel like quitting – just do five more – five more minutes, five more exercises, five more pages – which will extend your focus.
The rule pushes you just beyond the point of frustration and helps build mental concentration.