We’re constantly interrupted. A Slack ping here. A shoulder tap there. Someone knocking at your door asking “Got a minute?”
And if you’re like most leaders I coach, you probably said yes. Because you have an open door policy. Because you want to be approachable. Because that’s what good leaders do, right?
Here’s what happens, though.
That open door policy that was supposed to make you accessible has come to bite you. People drop by to chat. They “just have a quick question.” And before you know it, they’re in your office for 30 mins.
Or maybe you don’t even have a door. You work in an open office. The only place to focus is a conference room you have to book two days in advance or someone’s office you have to borrow if the stars align and it’s free when you need it!
The interruption trap I fell into
I’ll be honest with you. I have a complicated relationship with interruptions.
As an extrovert, I used to cherish those spontaneous conversations that would interrupt my work. A colleague popping by to brainstorm. A quick hallway chat that turned into a problem-solving session. Those moments felt energizing.
But looking back, I realize something uncomfortable. Sometimes those interruptions were a distraction I actually wanted. A subconscious strategy to avoid the hard thinking work sitting on my desk. The work that required deep focus and made my brain hurt a little.
And there was another layer to it. I wanted to appear approachable. Telling people “not now” felt like creating distance. Like I was saying “you’re not important” or “I’m too busy for you.” What kind of leader does that make me?
So I stayed available. And I got less and less done.
The real cost of constant availability
Here’s what I see with the executives I coach. They’re drowning in interruptions but can’t bring themselves to close the door. Literally and figuratively.
One client told me: “Monica, I know I need uninterrupted time. But if I close my door, my team will think I don’t care.”
Another said: “I tried blocking my calendar but people just message me anyway. They even text me knowing I’m in a meeting! How do I say no without being a jerk?”
The fear is real. We’ve been conditioned to believe that good leaders are always available. That accessibility equals approachability. That boundaries equal coldness.
But what if that’s not true? What if protecting your focus actually makes you a better leader?
What nurses taught us about interruptions
There’s a study from the UK on the impact of interruptions while nurses were doing their rounds administering meds.
Dosing mistakes or wrong medications were frequent. Not because they didn’t know what they were doing, but because they kept getting interrupted while preparing medications.
So the hospital tried something simple. They had nurses wear bright red vests that says ‘do not disturb’ during medication rounds. This reduced medication errors by about two‑thirds.
Think about that. A simple visual signal that said “I’m doing something that requires my full attention” changed everything.
Not just for the nurses. For the people around them too. It gave everyone permission to respect focus time without feeling rejected.
Your version of the vest
You probably can’t wear a vest to your next meeting. But you can borrow the principle.
Put a sign on your door: “Deep work in progress. Back at 11:00 a.m.” Not “Do not disturb” which sounds grumpy. But a clear signal that you’re focused and when you’ll be available again. The message is simply ‘Not now’.
The bigger shift
But here’s the thing. None of these tactics work if you haven’t made peace with the deeper issue.
You need to believe that protecting your focus doesn’t make you a bad leader. It makes you a more effective one.
Your team doesn’t need you to be constantly available. They need you to be present when you are available. And they need you to do the strategic thinking that only you can do, which requires uninterrupted time.
So with that in mind, what if being approachable isn’t about being always accessible? What if it’s about being fully present when you are available?
What’s worked for you?
I’m curious about your experience with this. What’s your version of the medication vest? What have you tried that actually worked? And what’s the thing that still trips you up when you try to protect your focus time?