Have You Got A Minute? How to Manage Your Availability

Have you ever felt that you would scream at the sight of the next smiling face asking for a moment of your time? Do you have those days when it seems as though you will never finish anything because of questions, interruptions, unsolicited comments and run-of-the-mill chitchat? Working in a service industry, with tight time schedules, lots of paperwork and special projects thrown at you, there are days when hearing another human voice will send you screaming. Visitors are an intimate part of your job, but if you do not handle them properly they can play havoc with your personal time management.

Throughout the course of a day your interruptions will come from many sources. Some will be callers that are internal to your organization such as your manager, your associates & colleagues, mail handlers and service technicians. Sandwiched between "insiders" are those from the outside - - vendors, suppliers, reporters, guests from branch offices and a host of others. They each have concerns that require your attention. However, they are not always knowledgeable about the issue at hand, their conversation may not be focused and sometimes their point is obscure. We have all experienced long-winded lecturers, imprecise, vague wanderers and dull, boring, repetitive droners. The ability to meet their needs and keep to your own schedule requires tact, firmness and skillful questioning. The goal is to be ruthless with time but gracious with people.

LOOK TO YOURSELF

During the course of a conversation, we process what we see as well as what we hear. Subtle cues often carry more weight than the spoken word. When people come to your desk do you sit back, push your chair away, turn to face them, smile and do the equivalent of put your feet up on the desk? Do you ask the fatal question "What's up?" Resting your head on your hand, leaning against a desk or a doorway, and rocking back and forth are all behaviors that say "I'm relaxed, I have time, let's shoot the breeze." These are all non-verbal signals that encourage excess talk.

Being friendly is very important, but be sure that your efforts at courtesy do not backfire. One way to discourage excessive socializing at the start of the conversation is by setting the tone. Instead of "Hi, how are things?" or "What's new?", say "Hello, how may I help you?", "What can I do for you?", or "Is there something you need?" Accompany these opening questions with a smile of friendliness, but do not push your chair back or turn your body around to face them. Initially, keep your pen poised, fingers on the calculator or phone in hand. A pleasant yet crisp tone of voice goes a long way to relaying a subtle message of business first, socializing later.

It is not impolite or rude to start a conversation by making the visitor aware of your availability. If you only have a few minutes or if you are busy, say so. "I am very busy at this time, can we talk later, or may I refer you to someone who may be able to help you immediately?" Allow them to make the choice of you later, or someone else now. Let those who insist upon telling you all about their vacation or some other non-work topic meet you for coffee or after work when you will have time to listen. If your voice, body posture and attitude are strictly business, theirs will tend to follow suit.

STEERING THE CONVERSATION

Beware of visitors with compound agendas. They ostensibly come to discuss a purchasing order problem, but once that has been taken care of, you discover that the mailroom is still mixing up deliveries and the new retrieval system is not working as well as expected. Just when you think the issue has been handled suddenly a new problem is introduced. Try a list-making strategy with multi-purpose talkers: "It sounds to me as if you have a number of concerns. Let's write them down so that we do not miss any." Taking brief notes forces them to be clear and specific while it allows you to get agreement on which issues will be discussed. Determine the most important and shelve the others for a later time, preferably by appointment. If writing does not match your style or seems forbidding ask them to choose the issue most critical and work that one to conclusion. Offer another person or approach for addressing their other concerns.

When approached with a seeming problem, be sure you are clear about who has the responsibility for tackling it. In your zeal to get back to your interrupted work, be cautious about accepting extra duties. For example, your offer to "look into it," get a list together, call someone else, help make the plan, may make your visitors quite happy - but it does produce a new project for you. Was it appropriate for you to take on this extra work? Turn the conversation around and offer to approve the list or sign off on the plan. Recognize the difference between requests for you to oversee work and requests for you to actually do the work. Beware of the upward delegator.

HAPPY ENDINGS

Conversations are two-way communications and successful ones end with both parties reaching an understanding and feeling satisfied. Ending a conversation positively, yet firmly, is a critical skill to develop. Your controlling the interaction should not come across to the listener as being disinterested or uncaring. The other person should leave feeling that the exchange was productive, their need was met, and that their input is valued. Cuing the person that time is running out is a graceful way to signal the end. For example, "Before we finish...", "Before we wrap it up...", "I see that our time is almost up, is there anything else?" - all of these let the person feel at ease, that your attention is still with them, but that stopping would be appreciated. Closing statements should not be abrupt, annoying, condescending or patronizing. Use a firm but courteous ending statement: "If that is all, I will get started on this right away;" or "If there is nothing more, let's end here and we'll get back together tomorrow afternoon;" or "Thank you, I think we have covered everything."

Remember that old habits and patterns of behavior are hard to break. The first step is to recognize the subtle cues you may be transmitting to your listener. Consciously make an effort to reduce idle talk. Visitors who have easy access to you will cost you valuable time. Practice effective techniques for beginning, focussing, and ending conversations. Remember that your time as well as theirs is a valuable resource. Help them to manage it better, while also respecting yours.

Odette Pollar is a nationally known speaker, author, and consultant to business, government, and industry. She founded TIME MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS, a training firm based in Oakland, California. Her book, Organizing Your Workspace: A Guide to Personal Productivity (Crisp, 1992) is available for $9.95 per copy (plus $3.50 S & H). Call TMS at 1-800-599-TIME or mail to 1441 Franklin Street, Suite 301, Oakland, California 94612.