Some folks have previously discussed ways to get rid of people that are interrupting you. But how do you determine when you should interrupt someone else—and how should you interrupt that person? IM? Phone?

I’ve created some guidelines that help me determine if I should barge into someone’s office unannounced, and I thought I would share them with you:

1. Is it a social call? If it is, and you are uninvited, don’t do it. I strongly recommend all managers setup a daily five minutes that can serve as a social call. Co-workers should keep social calls to a minimum—try to reserve them for breaks and lunch. If it is not a social call, ask yourself:
2. Is it something you need to handle? That is, is it something that someone else is responsible for? If so, let the other person handle it; if not, ask yourself:
3. Does it need to be handled right now? Can you continue working without the answer? If so, send an email; if you can, let them know when you’ll need the answer. If the answer directly affects what you are working on right this minute and you cannot do anything else, ask yourself:
4. Is it a question that can be answered relatively easily and quickly? If so, send the person an instant message. IMs are less invasive than walking into someone’s office in that they are less likely to lead to a prolonged conversation. If it’s not something that can be answered easily and quickly, ask yourself:
5. Can it be handled on the phone (or through Skype)? Again, phone conversations are less likely to lead to a prolonged conversation about your kids, your dogs, your weekend, or your significant other. As with IM, the phone is limited in the types of collaboration it can effectively support. If it’s not suitable for a phone call, ask yourself:
6. Is it something I would want to be interrupted about? When considering interrupting someone IRL, this is the most important question. Reverse the roles. Put yourself in their shoes. Is this question so serious that you must interrupt them? If so, interrupt them.

These guidelines might seem to be a bit burdensome, but if you practice them every time you consider interrupting someone, you’ll find yourself answering all of the questions in under a few seconds. Besides, you’ll save your colleagues a lot of your annoying interruptions, and we could all do with fewer annoyances in our lives, right?