As the first point of contact for the president’s office, I get interrupted all day long--if not by chatty colleagues, then by guests or by the president himself. Do you have any tips for minimizing distractions and getting things done?

You have more control over your productivity in the face of interruptions than you think! I’ll say more about that later, but first let’s address some of your external distractions.

If you’re the first person people see when they come to the president’s office, greeting guests is likely part of your job. Although this seems terribly disruptive to whatever you’re working on, keep in mind that you are an ambassador of the president--and of the university too. Try to reframe your thinking in terms of this reality. Instead of viewing guests as a distraction, consider this your chance to represent the office well by smiling and showing hospitality. Your president will fare well in the reflected glory of your graciousness.

On the other hand, chatty colleagues can be challenging because especially if they’re friends, you may be concerned about hurting their feelings by shutting down a protracted conversation about their weekend. Based on the person and your relationship with them, you’re the best one to gauge whether to be direct or indirect when addressing this. A direct way to end the conversation would be to say, “I’d love to hear more a little later, but I really need to finish this project for the president right now.” Can’t argue with that! An indirect way to end the conversation would be to stand up while they’re talking and then say, “I’ll walk out with you now because I need to go that way.” A well-timed bathroom break can provide a gentle sunset for a conversation that’s been going on too long.

Maddening though they may be, the president’s interruptions come with the territory. I see my role as teeing him up for success. In my office, it’s toughest on those days when he’s asked for big blocks of unscheduled writing/reading/thinking time. That’s when he pops out every 15 minutes to ask for a document, a phone number or something harder to procure. Those are the times when I take a deep breath and remember the big picture: if he feels prepared and has what he needs, I’ve done my job well--even when it seems to threaten my to-do list. That said, I’m willing to ask him if the request can wait a bit so that I don’t have to refocus completely after the interruption. Sometimes I can jot down the request and then get back to my project.

Over time, I’ve learned that maximum productivity depends on planning my work around the interruptions I can anticipate. For example, if I have to write an article such as this one, I will plan it when the president is in a long Cabinet meeting. Writing takes focus and time. I know I can’t get in the zone--and stay there--during a series of his 30-minute meetings. Those periods work better for scanning emails for the ones I can answer quickly, making phone calls or performing other short tasks. I reserve the larger chunks of time when the president is occupied for my larger projects, knowing interruptions are less likely. 

There are also ways you can limit people’s access to you. One is to forward your phone to someone who will take messages for a while. (It’s only fair to do the same for that person when he or she needs to focus.) Another is to have someone cover your desk while you find a place to work in a quiet office or go to the library to hunker down and focus.

I once knew an assistant who would put up a mini stop sign when she didn’t want to be interrupted. She said her boss looked really confused the first time he saw it. I would think so! Instead of bluntly using traffic signs to ward off interruptions, try reorienting yourself toward hospitality, learning to end conversations tactfully and planning your work strategically so those interruptions roll right off you like a California stop.