The problem isn't that we get interrupted and our concentration suffers, it's that we keep trying not to be interrupted. For a programmer, frequent interru

The problem isn't that we get interrupted and our concentration suffers, it's that we keep trying not to be interrupted. For a programmer, frequent interruptions are a major problem. Interruptions break a person out of the mindset required in order to solve problems. This is why managing interactions within an organization is one of the primary foci of project management. What makes a great developer are soft skills, and gluing together other code, not cranking on something for hours alone. Soft skills are certainly beneficial in a team. But what "makes a great developer" are not soft skills. What makes a great developer is providing solutions within the constraints and expectations of the organization (time, functionality, cost, etc.) for the problem at hand.