Mark W: About your last post a good bit of advice I got from a book I've just read (http://www.scottberkun.com/books/artofpm/) is hide. Find a spare meeting room, make sure one or two people know where you are for absolute emergencies and then get on with clearing stuff. I was amazed at how easier it was to work when I spent a day in a different office and no one knew where to find me :).
My version of this is slightly different but just as effective; I normally work with my door propped open to improve air circulation. Closing my door, putting a big sign on it marked "Do Not Disturb: Recoding Database" and sending an e-mail to my boss saying "The Recoding sign's up" works. He knows to disturb me with important stuff, everyone else comes, looks at the closed door and the sign in bafflement, and goes away again.
Nobody ever asks me about the database, which is just as well on reflection.
I tried this - I emailed my superiors saying "Am v. busy with *very important, time critical task*, please try not to contact me for the rest of the day", and promptly got five emails saying, "Emma, great, I forgot that I had to ask you about *exhaustively unimportant issue* and I need an answer now!!!"
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-17 02:42 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-17 02:46 pm (UTC)I was amazed at how easier it was to work when I spent a day in a different office and no one knew where to find me :).
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-17 03:15 pm (UTC)Nobody ever asks me about the database, which is just as well on reflection.
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Date: 2005-06-17 03:19 pm (UTC)No such luck here. It's always open season on your attention in a cube farm.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-17 04:31 pm (UTC)Now my solution is to hide in the gent's.
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Date: 2005-06-17 06:31 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-20 08:39 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-17 05:57 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-17 07:21 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-18 01:27 am (UTC)Thanks. ;-)
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-18 10:58 am (UTC)Presumably filter tips?
Just the sort of inane comment you turned off the previous post to prevent.