From the course: Time Management Tips: Teamwork

Unlock the full course today

Join today to access over 24,100 courses taught by industry experts.

Dealing with distracting coworkers

Dealing with distracting coworkers

From the course: Time Management Tips: Teamwork

Start my 1-month free trial Buy for my team

Dealing with distracting coworkers

“

- Do you have a coworker who has a gift for interrupting you? Perhaps they're a wonderful human being, yet they also create a lot of distractions. Here are some tips to regain focus. First, look at yourself. Often, people unwittingly create the very behavior that they don't want others to do! If you're interrupting others with questions, others are more likely to interrupt you. If you have the tendency to gossip, coworkers may seek you out for these conversations. Ask, "Is there something about my behavior "that's encouraging distraction?" Next, consider using headphones, playing personal music or white noise to create a boundary space. This can reduce the distraction of random talk around the office. Also, people often hesitate to interrupt others if they see them wearing headphones. Similarly, you might have a conversation with coworkers about expectations and ground rules about when or when not to interrupt…

Contents