How to interrupt someone without annoying them
Parent Post
The return to the
The return to the office will bring back opportunities for in-person interruptions that were impossible when all communication was online.
There have always been better and worse ways to interrupt someone — but it’s up to all of us to pay close attention to evolving norms about what it means to be a “good” interrupter.
Decrease the time burdenThink
Decrease the time burden
Think creatively about how you can lighten the load and use the person’s time most efficiently.
Presenting the interruption in a manner that highlights your respect for the other person’s time can have a major impact on how they react.
Interruptions are a fact
Interruptions are a fact of life — but do they have to be unpleasant?
A recent study found that 31% of workplace interruptions are actually experienced positively.
Identify the right person
Identify the right person to interrupt
Before you knock on someone’s door, ask yourself: Is this the right person to take on this new task? Whose role makes them the best fit for the task you need help with?
Your interruption is much more likely to be well-received if you put in the work upfront to determine the best person to ask.
Workplace interruptions are often
Workplace interruptions are often necessary, providing us with the information and real-time collaboration we need to do our jobs.
And as Slack, Zoom, and countless other communication tools make it easier to get in touch, these interruptions are only becoming more frequent and unavoidable.
Here are several specific strategies that can help you increase the chances that your interruption will be received positively.
Pay attention to busyness
Pay attention to busyness cues
Interruptions are experienced more positively if they occur at the “right” time.
To determine whether it’s a good time to interrupt, pay attention to the signals the person is sending: Are they working with their door closed or open? Do they have this hour blocked off on their calendar?
Give advance warningLet people
Give advance warning
Let people know that you expect to have to interrupt them in the near future.
This helps your colleagues mentally plan for the interruption and make time for the task, even if the exact timing is still unknown.
Assess how critical the
Assess how critical the task is
People are more likely to see an interruption as worth their time if the task they’re being asked to do seems important.
So, before interrupting someone, consider whether what you want them to do is likely to be a priority for them.
Don’t pile onPeople tend
Don’t pile on
People tend to react negatively to an interruption if it pops up at a time when they are already feeling overloaded.
To avoid piling on, ask yourself what you know about the person’s current workload.