3 ms·

With an interruption every 15 minutes, sounds like you would never reach a state of flow.

• ImSkeptical 9y ago
  My own strategy with such people is to bore them into never speaking with me. Every such question, I'll take a moment to compose my thoughts, and then begin explaining, as thoroughly as possible, in a monotonous cadence, exactly what's been going on. I'm also sure to always add that reporting on progress is consuming a significant amount of time, especially because it is an interruption. I also repeat any instruction given to me in different words, and describe what I'm currently working on, what I think the priority of the new thing should be relative to current tasks, and ask if they agree with me. In my experience, people simply lack the will to repeatedly endure lengthy and dull interactions. I can tell they zone out soon after I start talking, and I keep lashing them with boredom until they learn to not interrupt me. I'd suspect the kind of person who asks for an update every fifteen minutes is doing so out of a minor sadistic impulse, rather than for any legitimate reason. If so, the important thing would be never to appear bothered by it. That would be my strategy at least.