Training: Interrupted

We were recently introduced to a study written and conducted by 3 professors from the University of CA at Irvine. The study, published in 2005, discusses the amount of interruptions a ‘knowledge worker’ experiences in a typical day.

The study determined that there are two types of interruptions:

External interruptions are those that stem from events in the environment, such as a phone ringing, a colleague entering one’s cubicle, or an email signal. Internal interruptions are those in which one stops a task of their own volition.

The study goes on to analyze and discuss how long it takes one to return to the task they were completing before the interruption (typically there are 2 intervening tasks before resumption) and how the interrupted tasks start to “nest” and pile upon one another.

While all this is fascinating and disturbing, what struck us was this idea:

Is it important for us, as trainers, to teach people how to do their job while interrupted? The study focuses particularly on information or knowledge workers – in other words, people who have to think. If we teach our participants to do something in a particular way, in a supported environment and a predictable order, are we really helping them to learn to perform the same task on the job?