What You Should Know About Multi-Tasking

Kimberly Medlock

Multi-tasking – the ability to do multiple things at the same time. New definition of multi-tasking – the ability to mess up multiple things at the same time.

Actually, I’m a really good multi-tasker. However, I may have an advantage over most because of the amount of reading and research I have done on the subject. I know there is a right way and a wrong way to effectively multi-task. Many people that multi-task have got it wrong.

Multi-tasking became a huge buzz word a couple of decades ago as our culture really started to speed up its insatiable appetite for the “more” and faster lifestyle. However, just like most things we Americans discover we can do, we do it to the extreme and in excess. The same is true for our multi-tasking habits.

Most everyone I talk with these days feels they have more to do than they can get done in a day and the obvious solution is to multi-task. I don’t blame you. I have a lot to do too and if I can make a way to get more than one thing accomplished at a time, I want to do it!

However, as it turns out, many scientific studies prove that inappropriate and constant multi-tasking can actually make you “stupid” and even reduce productivity instead of increasing it. Multi-tasking can make you much more prone to make mistakes and can significantly affect your memory. “If you talk on your cell phone while driving to work, you may not crash your car but you may forget where you parked it”, says Professor Hal Pashler at the University of California, San Diego.

Other studies prove that chronic and media multi-taskers have a more limited attention span. (We wonder why so many people have or think they have “ADD” – attention deficit disorder. My theory is that most of us have self-induced “ADD.” We have greatly diminished our ability to “focus” because of the constant distractions we allow in our lives.)

Juggling multiple tasks at the same time (multi-tasking) also often puts your body in a state of stress and this can indeed do a number on your health. Researcher Walter Kirn said, “Studies find that multi-tasking boosts the level of stress-related hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline and wears down our systems, prematurely aging us. In the short term, the confusion, fatigue, and chaos merely hamper our ability to focus and analyze, but in the long term, they may cause it to atrophy." (Did I mention that excess cortisol has also been linked to belly fat? Just another reason to stop the chronic multi-tasking cycle!)

And, just because you can do something (multi-task) doesn’t mean you should. We have had created a whole new set of rules and campaigns just to tell people that they shouldn’t be texting while driving or operating heavy machinery! Texting and driving can kill you and other people.

Lastly, inappropriate multi-tasking can harm relationships too. Important time with a customer, a colleague, a friend, your kids or spouse while glancing at the computer or your Blackberry can seriously damage the trust factor. Fifty-four percent of employees in one survey confessed that they often read email while on the phone. And if you are in a meeting but checking your Blackberry, you are probably not making much “productivity” progress. If you aren’t planning to pay attention, why be there? You are also probably distracting and irritating those around you. Did I mention that it is rude as well?

So, can you really multi-task effectively? The answer is yes and no. Research proves that you can’t focus on two things at a time – it is not possible. So stop trying and start practicing “single-tasking” or what some call the “right-now” habit. Whatever you are “working” on, intentionally commit to doing just that and be fully engaged with the process. Push back the temptations for being distracted and chances are you will get it done better, faster and will feel better too! A good rule of thumb to follow is if what you are doing involves communication or money, no multi-tasking allowed.

However, there are smart ways to multi-task that indeed allow you to accomplish more than one thing at a time. The key is being prepared for it. Organizing tasks so that you can work on something else while another task is in wait mode or on “automatic” (doesn’t require you to be focused on it) is a great way to do more in less time. The key is you have to be prepared by having the tools or information needed handy so you can do it. (This requires a bit of planning and organizational skills.) For example, doing some filing while you are waiting for the conference call to start or sending a fax while the copies are running are smart multi-tasking activities. Working-out with a friend can help cross both your exercise and social goal off your to-do list.

Tips to help you improve your focus and productivity and lessen the stress in your day:

Practice pushing back some of the constant distractions that often keep you in multi-tasking mode – email, Blackberry, people interruptions, clutter.

Create times in your daily or weekly schedule that are free from usual distractions (co-workers, email, etc.) to focus and work on important projects. (Maybe leaving the office to work on something will actually help you get it done better!) I often suggest to teams that I work with to establish team respected “free time” – free of co-worker “stop by’s” and meetings. Just 20% of the day (about 90 minutes) can do make a huge difference in productivity!

Practice the “right now” habit. When you start a task that deserves your full attention, say to yourself, “right now” I am working on the meeting outline, product development, having lunch with my kid or talking with my spouse. Be fully present.

When we feel overloaded, our instinct can be to speed up and multi-task. Instead, now that you know better, choose to slow down and focus on one thing at a time. You might just be surprised how doing less can often really give you more!

“You cannot solve problems at the same level of conscientiousness that created them.” -Albert Einstein

To get more information about improving your personal or company’s productivity, visit www.kimberlymedlock.com or call 662-893-7933.

kimberly@kimberlymedlock.com

662-893-7933