Have you ever heard a colleague repeat a weekend tale or recount a vacation experience again and again to different staff members? You have probably done the same thing yourself as several people pass by at intervals and ask how your weekend was. All of these recountings constitute office distractions, whether you are doing the talking or overhearing the conversation. As people decry the lack of time to complete all of their work, this could be one of the areas that could be addressed in order to add another hour of productive time within your work day. Limiting interruptions is one of the biggest issues I deal with when presenting time management seminars. One area of dealing with interruptions that is constantly brought up is how to handle colleagues who are distracting, both in cubicles and in offices with doors open, when they are loud or when their conversations intrude on your concentration.Do you remember how in elementary school you might sit in a circle and share something with your classmates? It could be an event you told about (Sharing Time) or it could be something special that you brought (Show and Tell).

How about having a Monday morning meeting where everyone would have a chance to share with the group? You would only tell your story one time and everyone would know about your super trip, and you would only have to hear others’ adventures, or misfortunes, once. Then it would be back-to-work time.

It may seem a little far-fetched, especially with the current proliferation of meetings, but it could improve communication, allow you to get to know each other better, and actually increase daily productivity.

Do you have something new on Thursday that you want to tell people about? Let’s wait till Sharing Time.