Digital communications make our work lives easier in many ways. But constant interruptions from messages, emails and calls can hurt productivity. Knowledge workers can spend almost a third of their workday handling interruptions from information and communication technologies. Tiilikainen Sanna, Tuunainen Virpi Kristiina, Sarker Suprateek and Arminen Ilkka studied how collaborative groups manage interruptions from technology in real-time knowledge work and share their insights on how to deal with the issue.
In our increasingly interconnected world, organisations rely heavily on information and communication technologies (ICT), which offer significant advantages for collaboration and productivity. However, these technologies also pose challenges. Unexpected disruptions from sources like instant messages, emails, system updates or external calls can significantly impact workflows and collaboration. On an average workday, knowledge workers can spend almost a third of their time handling ICT interruptions.
Organisations must minimise the impact of interruptions. This frustrating experience can lead to decreased productivity and communication breakdowns, ultimately affecting collaboration, work quality and team spirit.
Our recent study focused on understanding how collaborative groups manage interruptions from technology in real-time knowledge work. We video-recorded teamwork in several organisations relying on these technologies for collaborating and observed constant interruptions being skilfully managed. Surprisingly, the groups demonstrated proficiency in handling this type of situation, implementing precautions to block or downplay interruptions and using intricate practices to address the unavoidable ones, while maintaining the social flow in their work.
We saw that although most interruptions were seamlessly managed, handling them during teamwork increases workflow complexity, alters the collaboration process and requires new skills from all members of the group. It is essential to understand this process and to design technology and work practices that support productivity, managing interruptions without disrupting workflow.
Our findings underscore the importance of recognising the management of ICT interruptions as an integral aspect of collaborating within the organisation. Rather than viewing interruptions as isolated incidents, we should understand them as part of the knowledge work. Managing them depends on the dynamic interactions between group members, the technologies they use and the social and technical requirements of the organisational context.
Dealing with an ICT interruption in a collaborative situation involves both technical and social aspects. To avoid disengagement from the teamwork, individuals must manage how they’re perceived while handling these social impressions. Effectively managing one’s social impressions is paramount. The impact of an interruption can vary significantly based on the perceptions of those involved.
For instance, an interruption that one team member considers a minor inconvenience could be viewed as a major disruption by another. To prevent disruptions to a collaborative workflow, the worker handling the interruption should be attentive to their colleagues’ social cues and adapt their interactions accordingly. A comprehensive understanding of these social dynamics can aid in the development of more effective strategies for managing interruptions.
Key findings
Context matters
Understanding the specific context in which ICT interruptions occur is crucial for tailoring effective management strategies. High-pressure environments may require different approaches compared to more relaxed settings.
Group dynamics
The way a group interacts significantly influences how it copes with interruptions. Groups that display strong, flexible communication are more adept at managing interruption, as they collaborate to find solutions. In these groups, members who encounter interruptions often share details about the disruption, request time from their teammates to address it, and use clear social cues, such as nodding or repeatedly glancing up, to convey their engagement in the team’s workflow while dealing with the interruption.
These strategies signal commitment to the group. In turn, other team members tend to respect the interrupted individual’s need to handle the issue, often appearing to “not notice” the interruption, allowing them a tactful inattention period (TIP), a socially acknowledged period of inattention tolerated for someone dealing with a distraction during collaborative work. If an individual struggles to manage their response to the interruption, the TIP begins to diminish, and the group offers subtle, then increasingly direct, verbal or non-verbal cues to guide them back into the workflow.
In effective groups, both the person managing the interruption and the rest of the team prioritise maintaining the social flow of the work. This is known as augmented multi-stage performance, an approach facilitated by technologies enabling participants to seamlessly engage on more than one task. This focus helps the group to remain on track, even if managing an interruption demands considerable time and effort from an individual. Conversely, groups with poor communication or rigid expectations may struggle to recover from even minor interruptions, running the risk of substantial disruptions to their collaboration.
Adaptive strategies
Successful management of ICT interruptions often involves adaptive organisational strategies, such as setting clear guidelines for using technology, filtering or prioritising messages and developing protocols for handling interruptions during collaboration. For instance, groups could allocate specific time slots for uninterrupted collaborative work and leverage technology to silence non-essential notifications during these crucial tasks.
Technology design
Tool design can either exacerbate or mitigate the impact of interruptions. Tools that allow for easy switching between tasks or provide clearly prioritised notifications without being overly intrusive can help manage interruptions more effectively. Conversely, tools that consistently demand team members’ attention can result in frustration and diminished motivation among colleagues.
Training and awareness
Training group members on how to manage interruptions and raising awareness about their potential impact can be beneficial, enabling teams to better prepare for interruptions and maintain productivity.
Practical implications for organisations and decision-makers
Tailoring communication policies
Organisations should develop communication policies tailored to the specific needs and contexts of different teams, considering factors such as setting quiet hours to block non-essential interruptions.
Investing in technology
Investing in ICT tools designed with collaborative needs in mind and featuring customisable notifications and priority filtering can reduce the negative impact of interruptions.
Promoting a collaborative culture
Fostering a culture of trust, flexibility and open communication within teams can enhance their ability to manage interruptions.
Providing training
Regular training sessions on managing ICT interruptions encompassing technical and social aspects can help teams develop the skills they need to stay productive.
Continuous monitoring and feedback
Organisations should continuously monitor how interruptions affect collaborative productivity and seek feedback from employees to improve interruption management.
Conclusion
Digital communication interruptions are an inevitable part of modern work life, and how they are managed can significantly impact the productivity in collaborative teams. By adopting a social process-based approach, organisations can better understand the complexities of interruptions and develop strategies to mitigate their impact. This involves fostering social resilience and flexibility in collaborative teams and supporting sensitivity to social cues during interruption management. Through tailored policies, thoughtful technology design, and ongoing training, organisations can turn the challenge of ICT interruptions into an opportunity for enhancing productivity and innovation.
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- This blog post is based on the authors’ paper Toward a process-based, interpretive understanding of how collaborative groups deal with ICT interruptions, in Management Information Systems Quarterly.
- The post represents the views of the author(s), not the position of LSE Business Review or the London School of Economics and Political Science.
- Featured image provided by Shutterstock
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