Even professional jugglers drop a lot of balls. Research has proven that successful multitasking is a myth. What looks like multitasking is actually doing tasks in sequence very quickly. When we do this, our work suffers. Our productivity plops. We drop balls.
Moreover, net-net, we spend more time on our multi-tasked items than we would have if we’d done them one at a time. Does this mean that you can’t load the dishwasher while you’re on the phone? Of course not. But if either task is at all complex, it doesn’t pay to do two things at once or rapidly switch from task to task. So if you think you can work on a project that requires concentration and keep zooming in and out of your email, think again.
Why Multi-Tasking Doesn’t Work
Research indicates that multitasking, drains productivity, especially when one of the tasks is complex. Even people who consider themselves marvels of multitasking take longer to do tasks when they are frequently switching between tasks. A recent article in Forbes cited a Stanford study which indicated that frequent multitaskers have trouble organizing their thoughts and filtering out irrelevant information.
Worse yet, a University of London study claims that multitasking reduces a person’s cognitive ability about as much as if they had smoked marijuana or stayed up all night. (And let’s not even think about the people who smoke marijuana and multitask!)
Frighteningly, the article also cites a study from the University of Sussex that indicates that some areas of the brain that are necessary for focus are actually damaged by switching frequently between digital tasks. The Forbes article closes with this statement:
So every time you multitask you aren’t just harming your performance in the moment; you may very well be damaging an area of your brain that’s critical to your future success at work.
Ways to Reduce Multitasking
Just say no to distractions.
Email, Facebook, Instagram, Candy Crush, Snapchat, WhatsApp…all these and more are committed to one thing: Distracting you from whatever you are doing. These digital distractions are the bane of concentrated work. They are often the reason we multitask, because we interrupt our concentration to “quickly” check some online shiny object. And there goes our concentration and productivity. Steel your resolve to do concentrated work for a period of time. Then take a set period of time for digital fun. Then go back to work.
Disable auto-alerts on your phone.
Beep! Beep! Beep! Like Pavlov’s dogs, we respond to the stimulus of the auto-alert. What if it’s important? What if it’s my future spouse, or my soon-to-be biggest client? What if it’s the winning PowerBall numbers? Or what if it’s a cat video posted by a bored office mate? You pay a high price by allowing your adrenaline to pump and your attention to wander every time the phone beeps. Be pro-active: Silence the beep.
Set expectations: Train people not to expect instant responses.
If you have trained Mrs. Important that every time she snaps her fingers, you respond within five minutes, then if you take fifteen to answer her, she will be miffed. BUT, if you have told her and everyone else on your contact list that in the interests of doing concentrated quality work, you will be checking your phone/email only at half-hour or hourly intervals, then she will know what to expect.
Close your door and silence your phone.
If you don’t have a door to close (damn that open plan!), find a conference room far from where your colleagues usually walk. Shut the door and turn your back on the glass wall so no one can accidentally catch your eye.
And if you’ve gone to the trouble of isolating yourself physically, don’t sabotage yourself by bringing the king of all interrupters into your sacred space. Either leave your phone at your desk or silence the ring.
Do One Thing at a Time
Every night, plan the most important tasks you intend to do the next day. Every day, choose one thing to do. It may be a complete task or a complete portion of a larger project. Do it until it is done. If something unexpected interrupts you, just deal with that. Then return singlemindedly to your previous priority. Then do the next thing. Your productivity will soar.
©2019 Elizabeth Danziger All rights reserved
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