Bridges Edition of 5/7/2007

Welcome to Bridges, a monthly newsletter published by Robin Fogel, Executive and Career Coach & Consultant. My goal is that these newsletters include practical information that you can use in your work and in your life. If you found the newsletter helpful, please forward it to your colleagues, friends and family.

If you would like to take advantage of a business consultant or executive coach, please email me at robin@coachrobinfogel.com for a complimentary coaching session or visit my website - www.coachrobinfogel.com
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INTERRUPTIONS
Clients are constantly telling me how difficult it is to get things done because they are always being interrupted. Between the people interruptions and technology - laptops, cell phones, Blackberry - it is probably a miracle that any work is getting done. So what can you do about interruptions?

The first place to start is to realize two things - not all interruptions are of equal importance and there are different types of interruptions. Interruptions can be people - your boss, kids, clients or they can be ones you create yourself. How often have you stopped what you were doing when you thought of something you needed to tell a staff member or your boss? How often are you interrupted by technology - the beeping from your computer or a voice mail?

Here are a couple of strategies for dealing with interruptions:

- For a few weeks track the interruptions - jot down who interrupted you, the reason and whether it was important.
- If you can, postpone dealing with the person who interrupts you. This gives you the opportunity to be better prepared. You can ask how long the person will need and plan the time necessary to deal with the issue, on your own terms.
- If you have support staff, have someone screen your calls and emails. If you don't have a staff person who can do that for you, investigate what you can set up through technology. For example, can your emails be sorted by importance? Can the bell on your computer only sound when the incoming message is from someone on that important list?
- Have a short list of the handful of people (no more than 5) that can interrupt you at any time - your boss, a key client, spouse or child.

Finally, I recently read an article about a senior executive at a company who was struggling to get things done. This executive prided herself with always being available to her staff, for having an open door policy. The problem this created was that she wasn't able to get her work done. At a staff meeting she brought the issue up and asked for input. The result was that they arranged a signal. If she had a pressing matter, she put a sign on her office door and staff knew not to disturb her, except in an emergency. When the sign came down, they knew she was available to meet with them.

Tough as it is in this interruption prone world we live in; think of what you can do to take control of those interruptions. Implementing even one or more of these strategies can help you come up with some uninterrupted time.
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WORKPLACE TRENDS
I had the pleasure of participating in a wonderful workshop in April called Women in Transition, sponsored by Rider University and the Greater Mercer Chamber of Commerce. The program was initially aimed at women returning to the workforce but attracted a more diverse group. One of the points I made in my talk was that with an increasing number of baby boomers starting to retire, the workforce as we know it will change dramatically, and from that change will come opportunity - both for younger workers but also for the boomers who may still want or need to work, possibly in something different or something that fits their life style.

On the heels of that event I read an article about an innovative effort by IBM. A teacher shortage in the math and sciences is not a new story, but last year IBM launched a program called Transition to Teaching to help retiring IBM employees move into teaching as a second career, teaching math and science. The program is offering support in the form of teacher training, obtaining teaching credentials, etc., for those interested IBM employees. What a wonderful win all around.

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NO COMPLAINING
A reader of this newsletter sent me a link to a story about a Kansas City pastor, Will Bowen, who has a mission of helping people break the habit of complaining. A participant in the complaint free world initiative takes a 21 day pledge to swear off of complaining, criticizing, gossiping - 21 days is purported to be the length of time it takes to create a new habit. To participate in the effort they wear a little purple bracelet as a reminder - switching it to the opposite wrist every time they complain. Word of the effort has spread and 126,000 bracelets had been distributed by early 2007.
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For those who ask me what it is that I do, my business has evolved and I have been offering coaching and business consulting in the following areas:

-Career Coaching for career advancement, change or transition;
-Business Consulting & Executive Coaching - working as an independent sounding board providing advice on staffing issues, developing emerging talent and helping managers sharpen their communication and management skills;
-Not for Profit Consulting - providing Executive Directors with independent sounding board, consulting on staff issues, board relations and staff development

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FINAL THOUGHT
"The average American worker has fifty interruptions a day, of which seventy percent have nothing to do with work." - W. Edwards Deming

COPYRIGHT: 2007, Robin Fogel & Assoc., LLC. All Rights Reserved. May be distributed and reprinted in its entirety with copyright, subscription instructions, and contact information intact. However, you may not copy it to a website.