SvN tells us that interruption is not collaboration. 100% agreed. Whenever I’m at my most productive is inevitably the time when I receive that phone call or someone comes up to ask me something, and it is very frustrating and difficult to recover. No disrespect to my colleagues, especially since its impossible for them to know when I’m at my most productive (and the same goes for me talking to them), but I find the best communication to be email or an IM *not* followed up by a call or visit (as some people are prone to do if they don’t get a quick enough response). I think a good rule of thumb is “if the headphones are on, don’t interrupt.” Now if I could just stop breaking the rule myself.