Avoid Pesky Interruptions
Interruptions can really disrupt your workflow.
You spend time dismissing or addressing the person doing the interrupting, and then on regaining your focus.
I have a friend who doesn’t own an iPod, but wears the ubiquitous white earbuds nearly everywhere he goes, tucked into a pocket. He’s found that people only talk to him if they really have a pressing need.
So the headphones function as a passive barrier, sending out a signal that he is otherwise occupied.
Strangely, people feel more comfortable interrupting a person who is obviously intently working than a person wearing headphones.
Photo by WiLLGT09.
Angela Shupe on May 25th, 2009 11:24 am
I’ve never tried it, but I might just start using that idea in the future. I have a pair of earbuds that look just like those in the picture too.
Jaclyn on May 26th, 2009 6:21 am
That is a neat idea to try. I can see why people would be more apt to interrupt a person sitting somewhere working rather than someone who has headphones in. someone who is wearing headphones is automatically assumed to be on the phone, and most people don’t want to interrupt a phone call, but if your just sitting and working not on the phone, that is more acceptable to people for some reason.
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