It is true! After you read this article, you will say "that sounds about right".. because we have all as workers or managers been subject to interruptions day after day within our workplace.
Basex did a study in which they found that for the average work day, distractions eat up 28% or 2.1 hours of that work day. Each interruption was worth an extra five minutes because it took that long for the worker to regain their concentration and get back to what they were originally working on.
Now you can relate to that right? You know when you get a phone call while you are engrossed in a task and when you hang up you say "now dang it, where was I?" Ever been completely immersed in a project that required your full concentration and have someone come into your space and talk to you...and it takes you at least two attempts by them to even hear what they are saying. How long do you suppose it REALLY takes to get back to THAT level of concentration? You may not regain that all day.
This 28% or 2.1 hours per day is what Basex used to calculate the loss in dollars for the U.S. businesses of $588 billion per year.
Just think...without all those interruptions, we could fund our own stimulus package in a few years with that wasted time and money!
What is the moral of this story? Stay in your own dang cubicle or office and leave me alone!!!
