Posts

Showing posts with the label interruption

Interrupted? You'll Probably Make More Mistakes

I hate it when I'm interrupted . Now a new study says highly trained workers in some occupations could actually be at risk for making errors when interrupted, according to two Michigan State University psychology researchers, as reported by newswise.com. The reason: Experienced workers are generally faster at performing procedural tasks, meaning their actions are more closely spaced in time and thus more confusable when they attempt to recall where to resume a task after being interrupted. “Suppose a nurse is interrupted while preparing to give a dose of medication and then must remember whether he or she administered the dose,” says Erik Altmann, lead investigator on the project. “The more experienced nurse will remember less accurately than a less-practiced nurse, other things being equal, if the more experienced nurse performs the steps involved in administering medication more quickly.” That’s not to say skilled nurses should avoid giving medication, but on...

Work from Home A Pleasure, or A Punishment?

When I started out in corporate life back in the '80s, most if not all the women in executive positions were unmarried and I can't think of one who had children. Today that's been changing. Many companies allow employees – both mothers and fathers – to work from home (though that has its challenges, too; more on that later). According to about.com, some of the best companies for telecommuting are Accenture, Federal Express, Sears, Wendy's, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. The advantages for companies are many: save office space and reduce costs, help employees better balance home life and work, reduce absenteeism (how many moms and dads miss a day of work because of ear infections or strep throat?), and finally, happier employees who produce more. For the employee, it's even better. Less time commuting (more time spent on actual work), ability to stay on-task even with sick kids at home, less money spent on caretakers when both parents work, better...