This website covers knowledge management, personal effectiveness, theory of constraints, amongst other topics. Opinions expressed here are strictly those of the owner, Jack Vinson, and those of the commenters.

Can a button fix this problem?

The Red ButtonWith a lead-in like this, is this article real or pulled from The Onion?

... wouldn’t it be nice if we had a button we could punch that would simply put an end to all the interruptions, like those Do Not Disturb doorknob signs in hotels?

It seems to be a real thing. This time from Nathan Zeldes: Finally! a Big Button to End Workday Interruptions!

It turns out that CanFocus Technologies, a startup in Canada, has created such a button. The idea is interesting.  It's a hardware button that plugs into your USB.  Push the button, and any linked app will essentially go into Offline / Do Not Disturb mode.  And the button itself changes to glowing red.  

Of course, the big agreement will have to be to convince your colleagues to respect the glowing red orb on your desk.  

Would it be a simpler solution to simply turn off your wifi and sit at a desk in a different location or in a coffee shop?

[Photo: "The Red Button" by PhotoGraham]

A Sense of Urgency

The Art of Powerful Questions: Catalyzing Insight, Innovation and Action (CEM)