The Distracted Worker
"Office life can sometimes seem like a constant stream of calls, alerts and interruptions," says New Scientist magazine. Researchers found that a sample group of information workers averaged only three minutes of activity before being diverted. Since interruptions can eat up two hours of each working day, some busy office workers use computer analysis to distinguish the urgent from the nonurgent. Suggestions that can be used by all include: "Be honest with people, . . . tell them you really don’t have a minute if you don’t," and have the courage "to turn off your email, phone and instant messenger until the job is done. From Awake!
