You are working on a project and you get a message that you
have a new email. You stop working to look at the email. You read 7 new emails. One of the emails is
another request for information that you need to get together before 1pm. You
join a conference call and continue to work on the email request. During the conference call, someone asks you
a question and you have no idea what they just asked you. You answer the question unsure if your response
really added anything to the conversation.
You go back to working on your 1pm
deadline only to realize that you have a text message on your cellphone. In the middle of responding to the text messege, someone knocks on your door to ask you a question. This is a classic example of
multitasking. You’re doing a lot of
stuff at the same time, but you haven’t complete one of the things you have
started.
Research suggest that multitasking actually reduces our
productivity as much as 40%. A study in
cognitive control in media multitaskers (http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2009/08/21/0903620106.abstract)
suggest that the more you multitask the worse you are at getting work
done. With this new information, we need
to change our behavior. Here’s what I
have done to reduce the distractions and get things done.
- Create a to do list. I not only created a to do list. I used technology (apps or software programs) to help me organize the things that I needed to get done. I also prioritize the to do list and added deadlines to make sure I understand all of my deadlines.
- Check email every 2 or 3 hours. I no longer check email as soon as I get an email notification. I check mail first thing in the morning, an hour before lunch and one hour before the end of my work day.
- Listen during conference calls. If I don’t need my laptop during a conference call, I leave it in the office. I’m focused during the conference call and not distracted by emails or instant messaging chat windows. When I need my laptop, I do not check emails or send/respond to instant messaging chats.
- Learned how to say “No”. Things start to pile up when you don’t say no. I’ve started asking about assignments and the deadlines. If I have a conflict, I’ve worked with management to understand the priority.
- Managed cellphone use. I’ve asked friends and family not to call me during my working hours unless there’s an emergency.
Are you a good multitasker? Have you changed the way you work to get
things done? I would love to hear from you.
You have some good ideas. Checking the calendar at the beginning of the day, prioritizing and remaining focused on tasks at hand have been helpful to me.
ReplyDeleteTonya,
ReplyDeleteI am a list maker too. I keep the lists in my Franklin Covey Dayminder open to today's date on top of my desk. It gives me GREAT pleasure and satisifaction to check items off as they are completed. Tasks that are not completed are carried over daily until completed.
Technology is helpful too with multitasking. With regard to email, I note "task items" in Outlook and keep them highlighted until the task is complete. I am also an avid user of the Outlook calendar for reoccuring tasks. It helps me remember work assignments, appointments as well as birthdays and other important personal dates and tasks they I don't want to forget.
After organizing for the day, I try to take on no more than three things at a time. Finish those three, then move on. Emails are done twice daily and calls are made as are necessay. Social calls are last priority. This "system" controls stress for me. Controling stress is a must for my health and wellbeing.
ReplyDeleteI have thought about multi-tasking and whether you can really accomplish anything. I blame technology for a lot of the pressure. Think of how hard it is to ignore the jingle of a text or beep of an incoming email. There are times that I don't know if I have forgotten something or never knew it in the first place. I think we all benefit from daily reminders and a to do list. My problem is completing one to do list before writing another one!
ReplyDeleteOk, let's us be realistic there is no such thing as multi-tasking. There is time slicing and task switching. Multi-tasking or task switching allows us to feel we are doing more than one task at a time, but in reality we are not. We all need to be careful about what we do when we task switch. We need to ensure a required task does not fall of the list of things to do. For example, have you ever started something then got distracted or started another task, and forgot to complete the original task? It happens to me all the time. Make a list of tasks and concentrate on two or three, as you complete one then move to another task. But limit the number of tasks to something you can handle. We just have to be cognizant of tasks that are taking time, but are not worthwhile or productive.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time there is no such thing a mono tasking. Try it and see, have you ever tried to meditate about something??? Does something else pop into your mind. So really we have to balance the amount of task switching, i.e. the unloading and loading of ideas or work items in the brain so that we are operating at optimal efficiency.