There’s a temptation to give an immediate answer to any question that comes your way. If you can answer quickly and completely, that’s great. The person asking can get on with whatever it was that they were dealing with and you can go back to dealing with what is on your desk.
Or is it great?
You’ve been distracted and it takes some time to regain your focus and get back to where you were. That’s especially true if you are dealing with a complex issue.
The person asking the question has also been distracted – possibly for even longer that you were, as they’ve given the problem some thought and tried to resolve it themselves before looking for assistance – or have they?
Some questions are just laziness.
Some questions are just seeking reassurance.
Some questions are just social interaction.
Some questions are serious questions around difficult problems.
If you are interrupted with a question, which category is it? If you can answer it immediately, it is probably one of the first three.
Laziness is when the information is available, the person has previously asked and had the answer. They can’t remember or have not referred to the previous example.
Reassurance is something we all need from time to time, but if this is a long established well-trained person, it may be time for you to “look in the mirror”. They don’t feel empowered to make that decision and need your stamp of approval.
We’re all social animals and there will always be a level of interaction, but it should not be a cause of distraction. If that becomes a pattern, make a point of giving the questioner some additional time in the coffee break or over lunch.
If it is the last category – a serious question around a difficult problem – you probably should not be answering it immediately.
If you can answer the question immediately, did it really need to be asked?
Was it a productive use of your and the questioner’s time?