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Eliminate Most of Your Interruptions with One
Simple Technique (the U & I Rule)!
By: Philip J. Kavesh, J.D., LL.M. (Taxation), CFP®, ChFC,
California State Bar Certified Specialist in Estate
Planning, Trust & Probate Law
If there’s one thing that I have learned to master over the
years, it’s to control the number of interruptions when I am in
the office - - not just others interrupting me, but my
interruptions of others.
The main reason why interruptions happen is because there
are no rules or protocols for how people will interact. The
result is not only a loss of productivity, but the loss of money.
If you just look up the statistics online about the amount of
money lost to businesses because of interruptions in the
workplace, it’s in the billions!
The question is, how do you implement the proper structure
for interaction between firm members?
Set Up Regularly Scheduled Meetings
need with a particular key staff person, then block your
calendar to accommodate this meeting. Once this time has
been blocked on the calendar, it must become inviolable. As
the boss, make it the responsibility of the staff member to
come to the meeting at the scheduled time and be prepared
with any items to discuss (you should do the same by setting
them aside in a file or list). If the staff person doesn’t have
anything, then that’s okay too. It should still be his or her
responsibility to initiate the meeting; if you repeatedly find
meetings are not needed, then you may schedule fewer
meetings (or none at all).
First, you need to set up regularly calendared staff meetings
with your key staff people. As the boss, take a look at the
people interrupting you the most or that you interrupt.
Chances are, they probably include an assistant, office
manager, or even a paralegal. Once you have identified the
key staff members you interact with on a daily basis, decide if
each staff member needs a meeting or check-in once or twice
a day, or they may only need a meeting once a week. (If you
have a lot of other staff members, you should not need to
meet regularly with all of them; they should be instructed to
go to your assistant, office manager, paralegal or someone
that does have regular meetings with you to get any questions
or issues resolved.)
Implement the “U & I” Rule
Having a regularly scheduled meeting blocked on the calendar
should bring a certain level of comfort and reassurance to you
Once you’ve determined the frequency of meetings you may
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and your staff members and, hopefully, reduce the number of
interruptions experienced each day. However, it’s not
enough. There has to also be a protocol about what does
warrant an interruption between scheduled meetings and
what can otherwise be saved and left for the next meeting.
That’s where the “U & I” Rule comes in.
breaks or later in the day.
In conclusion, while some may argue that meetings seem
inconvenient and unproductive, when done properly, you will
see a decrease in your unscheduled and unplanned
“meetings” that happen every time someone interrupts you.
It will help convert a work environment that’s otherwise
chaotic, stressful, and disorderly to one that is organized,
calm and structured. This only results in a greater level of
productivity, efficiency, and therefore a smoother, more
profitable business.
I have discussed the concept behind the “U & I” Rule in
previous articles, but the concept of the U & I Rule is simple.
Is this interruption both URGENT and IMPORTANT? Not just
urgent. Not just important. But, both urgent and important.
It may take some training and clarification, during the first few
interruptions, about what is actually urgent and important. A
great practice, for you and all of your staff to develop
(whether they are the person being interrupted or are
interrupting another firm member), is to ask, “Is this U&I?” If
so, then both persons may proceed with the interruption.
RELATED EDUCATION
If you would like more information about how to properly
conduct these regular meetings with key staff members and
associate attorneys (including their scheduling, timing and
even detailed agendas), please join me for a special
presentation entitled, “The Proven System for Holding
Efficient and Productive Meetings with Associates and Staff”.
For more information and to register, click here.
A Few Other Tips to Discourage Interruptions
Regular staff meetings and implementing and following the
U&I Rule are great starts to reducing the amount of
interruptions in the workplace. Here are some other tips that
may be helpful for discouraging interruptions (and
encouraging productivity):
 Close the Door. It seems like in today’s day and age, a
lot more companies have moved to a much more open,
shared space type of work environment. This
environment certainly encourages teamwork and
collegiality, but it’s also a highly disruptive work
environment with interruption opportunities lurking
everywhere. If you have an office, close the door. It’s
not intended to be cold or unfriendly. It’s merely
intended to discourage interruptions and give you
quiet, uninterrupted time to work.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
 Do Not Disturb. Many telephones have a “Do Not
Disturb” function on them. Block off times where you
can have uninterrupted time where you will not take
any phone calls. (Obviously, there are certain positions
and job duties where this cannot be done, such as a
receptionist or customer service person, but it can be a
great practice for many others!)
Attorney Philip J. Kavesh is the principal of one of the largest
estate planning firms in California - Kavesh, Minor and Otis - - now in its 34th
year of business. He is also the President
of The Ultimate Estate Planner, Inc.,
which provides a variety of training, marketing and practice-building products and
services for estate planning professionals.
If you would like more information or have a question for him,
he can be reached at [email protected].
 Disconnect. Another common interruption in the
workplace is the connection to technology (and
people), whether it’s e-mail, texting, smart phones, or
surfing the internet. It’s important to know how these
impact your productivity and be willing to disconnect
from them and keep them from interrupting you! Deal
with these electronic interruptions only at designated
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Image courtesy of iosphere at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
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