25 TIPS FOR

MANAGING
INTERRUPTIONS

PRODUCTIVITY PARTNERS, INC.

CYNTHIA KYRIAZIS
PRODUCTIVITY STRATEGIST, COACH & TRAINER
 WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT ALL THESE
INTERRUPTIONS??

FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS THIS HAS BEEN THE

MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION I GET FROM
AUDIENCES, WORKSHOP ATTENDEES AND COACHING
CLIENTS. AND IT MAKES SENSE.
25 YEARS AGO WHEN I BEGAN MY BUSINESS, THERE WERE
AN ESTIMATED 3 INTERRUPTIONS/HOUR. THE NEXT TIME I
CHECKED IT WAS 6, THEN IT WENT TO 20 AND AFTER THAT
26. NOW IT’S ESTIMATED AT EVERY 45 SECONDS. WHEW.
NO WONDER I GET THESE TYPES OF QUESTIONS.
BUT LIKE ANY TIME MANAGEMENT TOPIC, THERE IS NO
SECRET TO THE REMEDY. IT’S DISCOVERING WHAT TO DO
AND THEN PRACTICING.
SO WHAT BETTER TIME THAN TO BEGIN NOW!

CYNTHIA KYRIAZIS
PRODUCTIVITY PARTNERS, INC.

(c) Cynthia Kyriazis 2017

 Tip #1
There are two types of interruptions/distractors.

Tip #2
One is internal.

Tip #3
One is external.

Tip #4
Here are specific ideas about how to deal with distractors.

Tip #5
Of course you can always use earbuds or go to a quiet,
unknown office. But that’s not really dealing with the
issue, is it? Here’s a post that might interest you.

Tip #6
Internal interruptions/distractions are things like checking
your social media every 15 minutes, not knowing priorities
so working on anything that comes up, spending more time
staring out the window than working…you get the idea.

(c) Cynthia Kyriazis 2017

 Tip #7
Identify your internal interrupters and distractors.

Tip #8
Create a plan to try and minimize these types of events.

Tip #9
External interruptions/distractions are telephones, email
notifications, others who come by your desk or office to
chat…you get the idea.

Tip #10
Track your external interrupters.

Tip #11
Identify your most frequent external interrupters. I’m
not talking about emergencies. Try using this template to
help you track for a while.

Tip #12
No time to track and identify? Keep in mind that
employees who track this information have more data
available to them to make decisions for the
future…better decisions on what they will do to protect
the time they have. I’m just sayin’….

(c) Cynthia Kyriazis 2017

 Tip #13
After you know where most of your interruptions
stem from it’s time to decide how you’ll move
forward in handling them. Why? Because each time
you have an interruption, it’s drawing you away from
your own priorities and into someone else’s.

Tip #14
Here’s a post about the long-term effects on your
career.

Tip #15
Here’s some information that helps you identify when
you should consider saying no. Just remember, you
may not want to practice on your boss or your
spouse. In other words, consider your audience.

Tip #16
Remember protecting your time is about setting
boundaries. And respecting them. And working
towards getting others to respect them.

(c) Cynthia Kyriazis 2017

 Tip #17
When it comes to managing others who ask for
your time, no is an acceptable word. Yes it is. It’s
all in how you say it.

Tip #18
This post talks about 5 ways to say no.

Tip #19
This is another post and approach.

Tip #20
And this post is about ‘tricks’ that might help.

Tip #21
The bottom line to saying no is knowing and being
committed to why you need to protect your time,
while still being helpful to your colleagues and
peers.

(c) Cynthia Kyriazis 2017

 Tip #22
You can’t stop an interruption from occurring. You
can only stop how you react to it.

Tip #23
The first thing you can do is learn to say no
gracefully.

Tip #24
The second thing to do is offer an alternative to the
person. For example, meeting at another time or
day, suggesting that someone else can help them,
etc. so you can stay focused on what you need to
do.

Tip #25
And what you need to be doing on any given day
should be clear before you walk into your office.
Because if it’s not clear then, anything and
everything will interfere with your focus and
getting to your priorities!

Keep reading!

(c) Cynthia Kyriazis 2017

 Cynthia is founder and President of Organize it &
Productivity Partners, Inc. a leading provider of
training & coaching in the topic areas of time,
information & decision-making management.

She focuses on the principles, strategies & behaviors

that help decision-makers & their teams improve focus,
sales, profitability & overall job performance.

Cynthia is a productivity coach, facilitator & subject

matter expert in the areas of time and self-
management. This distinction enables her to work with
Cynthia Kyriazis
clients on process, systems and performance
Productivity Strategist & Coach
improvement.
cynthia@ProPartnersInc.com
www.ProPartnersInc.com Amazon Best Seller
913-649-0878

(c) Cynthia Kyriazis 2017