Latest news with #interruptions
Fast Company
4 days ago
- Fast Company
The 5-minute trick men use that undermines women in meetings
Theftosterone (noun): When a woman shares an idea with her colleagues, perhaps in a meeting, and five minutes later, a man says almost the exact same thing, posing it as his own original idea in an effort to bolster his professional reputation at the expense of hers. (This aggression is exacerbated when the collective response to the woman is lackluster but the man gets credit for 'his' great suggestion and is all too happy to bask in the praise without the slightest sense of guilt.) It doesn't matter how smart or accomplished the woman is, men still conversationally steamroll them and sometimes outright steal their ideas. We call this phenomenon 'theftosterone.' It happens even in the highest court in the land. Transcripts of fifteen years of Supreme Court oral arguments show that as more women have joined the court, male justices have increased their interruptions of the female justices. Many male justices interrupt female justices at double-digit rates per term, but the reverse is almost never true. During a twelve-year span, when women made up 24% of the bench, 32% of interruptions were of the female justices, but only 4% were by female justices. Strangely, as the gender imbalance on the court has lessened over the past several years, the incidents of this have not gone down. In fact they've increased. When we asked people in a survey for their firsthand experience observing original-thought theft, over 72% said they had indeed seen it take place. Reassuringly, the percentage of times it was called out, either on the spot or reported afterward, was 10% higher than incidents when the perpetrator was not called out on it. THE MOST VULNERABLE Kate White, the legendary editor in chief of Cosmopolitan, says that if you're a good idea person, you need to be extra vigilant in anticipating theftosterone and warding it off before it happens. 'I came up the ranks as an idea person. And let me tell you, those who are not idea people often steal your ideas out of desperation.' There are two ways to protect against that, White says. Whenever possible, put ideas in writing and cc people. If your boss wants you to generate ideas in meetings, use a claim-the-floor strategy. 'You can say something like 'If I could have everyone's attention, I'd like to take a moment to provide some vital information that I think will be eye-opening and of tremendous value.' Don't just blurt out something like 'Maybe we should employ that strategy in California too.' It might get lost in the back-and-forth and then someone (probably a guy) will bring it up five minutes later as their own. 'Instead, gain the floor, and say, 'I have an idea. I think we should consider employing this strategy in California, and let me offer some research that explains why.' Don't start with all the research. Women tend to show their homework first.' BLOCKING THE PUNCH But what if the theftosterone has already been perpetrated? Here are three possible courses of action: Amplification: This requires the cooperation and involvement of women colleagues. Juliet Eilperin, a reporter for the Washington Post, spoke with women who worked in the Obama administration who devised an antidote to theftosterone. It's a technique they called 'amplification.' Here's how it works. If a woman in a meeting makes a suggestion or presents an idea, another woman immediately acknowledges it, repeats it, and gives her credit. This shuts down any possibility that a man in the meeting can later stake claim to the idea for himself. The plan was executed with so much success that women in the administration noticed that Obama began calling on women in meetings more often. Claiming Affirmation: If assembling a team of female support isn't possible for amplification, and you're forced to go it alone, it's up to you to speak up. The lines you should have in your back pocket are 'I'm glad you agree with the point I just made' or 'It's so gratifying to get your affirmation of my suggestion from a moment ago.' Male Advocates: Women would benefit from a more equitable enforcement of communication justice. This requires that men also be on high alert for the appropriation of women's ideas at work. When they spot it, they can say, 'That sounds like exactly what Kristin said just a few minutes ago. Do you have anything more that you could add to that?' or 'I'm glad to see that you're aligned with the idea Kristin shared a little earlier.' BALANCING GENDER COMMUNICATION Unlike imitation, theftosterone is not the sincerest form of flattery. It is what its name suggests: an unjust appropriation of a woman's voice. Given how long men have been engaging in this behavior, the prospect of eliminating or even dramatically curtailing these aggressions seems remote. For years the struggle to be properly respected seemed to be solely a battle for women to fight, and when they elected to go to the mat, often the consequences of being labeled militant or 'nasty' outweighed the benefits. Men need to recognize the role they can and must play in combating this scourge to bring about more equity in communication in the workplace. Adapted from by Bill McGowan and Juliana Silva. Copyright © 2025 by Bill McGowan and Juliana Silva. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Business, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Available wherever books are sold.
CTV News
26-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Constant work interruptions can hurt productivity. Here are experts' advice
A Microsoft study found that people are interrupted 275 times once every two minutes during work hours each day. (Pexels) Technology is helping people get work done more efficiently, but having constant interruptions during the day can hurt productivity, say workplace experts. 'I think we just have to be very cognizant about using technology,' said Margaret Yap, associate professor at the department of human resources management and organizational behaviour at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto, in a Zoom interview with on Monday. 'We should use technology to our benefit to help us do our work and try to mitigate the negative consequences.' Work interruptions can be frequent; a new Microsoft report found that employees are interrupted by a meeting, email or chat an average of 275 times once every two minutes during work hours each day. Interruptions also include smartphone app notifications, phone calls and in-person conversations. Technology has been more beneficial for workers and companies than harmful, Yap said. At the same time, it's important to respect people's time and not expect 'instant responses' unless it's urgent, she added. 'I think we as humans, as workers and managers, we should know how to use (technology),' Yap said, noting that the interruptions can prevent people from doing work, affect the quality of work and create stress. 'Technology allows us to do a lot of things that we couldn't have done before, but we still have to be the drivers to make sure that we are using technology to help us and not to hinder our productivity and creativity.' Impact of interruptions Constant interruptions can affect employees' mental health, making them frustrated and anxious even outside of work, according to Karen MacMillan, assistant professor in organizational behaviour at the Ivey Business School at Western University in London, Ont. In a video interview with on Monday, MacMillan says turning off technology for certain periods can help people not only focus but also come up with good ideas, such as when taking a walk. She adds that managing your attention in a way that helps you perform tasks more effectively can provide a 'better mental mindset' at work and at home. MacMillan says while people may think they're good at multitasking, it's important to understand the types of interruptions that they can handle. 'If you ask people, 'are you good at multitasking?' They would say yes, but we're actually not, especially when the different things we're trying to do at the same time use the same parts of the brain,' she said. Building boundaries to prevent too many interruptions and gain focus is important, MacMillan says. 'Our attention is one of the most important things we have, and all these interruptions are kind of scattering our attention,' she said. 'So we need to build walls. Maybe I have certain periods of the day where I turn off all notifications. Maybe I put my phone in another room. Maybe I don't have my headphones on, so I can't hear the pings, or I turn it off, so I can't see them as I'm working.' Another strategy MacMillan suggests is putting a timer on for, say, 25 minutes, when you can focus with no interruptions from email and messages. If you have a coworker who often interrupts you during work, you can schedule times to meet when you're both free, she said. 'So now it's structured time and I'm managing it rather than just letting the flood hit me,' MacMillan said. It's important for leaders to take action, as well. 'It would be wonderful if leaders took the lead in this and actually set up some norms for a group of employees around how they're going to be more focused,' she said, adding the first step would be for a leader to talk to employees to see if they feel that they're getting inundated with interruptions. 'If there are a significant number of people who are feeling this, then maybe the leader can set times when there are no meetings, when there are no interruptions, when doors can be shut, and people can be uninterrupted, but also open up times when there are interactions with employees, when it's OK to have personal conversations and connect to each other.' Even with the harmful effects of too many interruptions, Scott Schieman, professor of sociology at the University of Toronto, said the matter could be a 'double-edged sword,' with sitting and focusing on work for too long having downsides for some people. 'One set of interruptions can be beneficial for some people, but also problematic,' he said in a video interview with on Monday. He said research showed people complained about missing the interactions with coworkers when they worked remotely and those back in the office complained about colleagues often chatting with them.
CTV News
26-05-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Constant work interruptions can hurt productivity. Here's an expert's advice
A Microsoft study found that people are interrupted 275 times once every two minutes during work hours each day. (Pexels) Technology is helping people get work done more efficiently, but having constant interruptions during the day can hurt productivity, says a human resources organizational behaviour expert. 'I think we just have to be very cognizant about using technology,' said Margaret Yap, associate professor at the department of HR management and organizational behaviour at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto, in a Zoom interview with on Monday. 'We should use technology to our benefit to help us do our work and try to mitigate the negative consequences.' Work interruptions can be frequent; a new Microsoft report found that employees are interrupted by a meeting, email or chat an average of 275 times once every two minutes during work hours each day. Interruptions also include smartphone app notifications, phone calls and in-person conversations. Technology has been more beneficial for workers and companies than harmful, Yap said. At the same time, it's important to respect people's time and not expect 'instant responses' unless it's urgent, she added. She suggests scheduling time to meet people when they're available and setting aside a few hours, for instance, to focus on work without interruptions such as emails and messages. 'I think we as humans, as workers and managers, we should know how to use (technology),' Yap said, noting that the interruptions can prevent people from doing work, affect the quality of work and create stress. 'Technology allows us to do a lot of things that we couldn't have done before, but we still have to be the drivers to make sure that we are using technology to help us and not to hinder our productivity and creativity.'
