You have likely heard someone say that you are good at multitasking or even considered a great multitasker. Simply put, multitasking is the act of performing two or more tasks at the same time. However, this claim is fundamentally flawed, as the brain cannot fully focus on two tasks simultaneously. What happens is that, during multitasking, the brain effectively switches from one task to another with a huge loss of productivity of up to 40%. Instead of trying to multitask, focus all your efforts on the “right” tasks performed correctly to optimize performance.
Image courtesy of Zipboard
Why do people multitask
Some people think they’re great for multitasking because, in fact, they can reduce lost productivity by moving more fluidly between tasks. For example, Linda Pawlik Picardo, actress, contractor, and manufacturer of custom jewelry pieces, has been successful in all of those areas due to her ability to multitask efficiently. But most of us mere mortals can’t multitask efficiently and instead encounter some issues like split focus, inability to prioritize, and burnout.
A wealth of research supports people’s inability to multitask effectively. Despite this evidence, people continue to multitask, with Millennials switching platforms 27 times an hour, destroying their focus. Even as I sat down to research and write this post, I fought my normal tendency to check my email every time a new message appeared (of course, as a marketing professor, I am faced with demands from college students who think not we do nothing all day except scan our email hoping to respond to your letters and inquiries immediately and completely). So if we know how unproductive multitasking is, why do we continue to engage in practice?
Easy.
We crave the stimulation that comes from switching tasks, as we easily get bored with just one task. It’s the same reason my college students wait until the last minute to have an assignment ready to submit: stress and anxiety increase their stimulation, even if it is negative stimulation. Multitasking provides more than just stimulation, it provides instant rewards (that is, emptying that email mailbox as soon as something arrives gives you the instant gratification of an empty mailbox). Multitasking also addresses our dire need for variety.
Negative consequences of multitasking
The cost of multitasking reached hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide, according to a recent study from Bryan College. Over time, according to that study, constantly switching from one task to another reduces IQ by 15 points, lowers emotional intelligence and decreases brain density. In an organizational setting, multitasking results in poor decision making, stress, mistakes, and a lack of creativity. At worst, distraction can lead to injury or death, especially when operating equipment or working in hazardous conditions.
Of course, some multitasking is normal, so we shouldn’t dismiss the concept without considering the context. For example, exercising to music elevates your mood, reduces negative attitudes toward exercise, and a fast pace increases exercise results. Doing meaningless tasks, like folding clothes or shaping cookies, makes conversation easier.
Image courtesy of MDG Advertising
In a marketing context, multitasking is common when consuming content. We call these people connected consumers because they are connected to multiple screens at the same time. And while this hyper-connectedness distracts them and makes it difficult for advertising to attract attention and remember requirements, it does allow users to watch a commercial on television and order it online using their iPad or mobile device.
Optimize performance instead of multitasking
To prevent these potentially negative impacts and improve your productivity, consider the following methods to improve your skills.
Calendar
To optimize performance, you need a schedule to keep you on track. This serves as a roadmap for the day’s activities and should include a to-do list as well as other tools like Pert charts or timelines to make sure you address the elements of a project to ensure it is completed before the deadline. . As the day progresses, stick to the schedule and check off the things you’ve accomplished off your to-do list so you can better focus on what remains to be accomplished. It is imperative to have all your activities documented and tracked.
If you’re leading a team, tools like the ones listed in the graphic at the top of this post help schedule and manage a team’s tasks so that each member can easily determine what tasks they need to complete and see how the project is going on. general. That way, if a team member is ahead of their scheduled tasks, they can (and should) communicate with team members who are falling behind to make sure the project finishes on time.
Prioritize
We all have a tendency to prefer certain tasks over others, and naturally we prefer the tasks we enjoy over the ones we hate (which is why there is always a mad rush to file taxes that requires post offices to have staff available to accept tax returns up to midnight of the tax due date).
Image courtesy of Creately
However, doing preferred tasks often doesn’t translate into meeting deadlines. Instead, use a Pert chart like the one on the left to prioritize tasks that impact delivery. Often times, you find a critical task path that has the ability to help you meet your deadline or, if not properly prioritized, miss the deadline. If you prioritize tasks along the critical path, chances are you’ll meet your deadline. Then use the extra time available to complete additional tasks necessary to keep your promises.
Do similar tasks together
During multitasking, you change your focus a lot. And when the focus and cognitive elements of each task are quite different, it takes more time to switch from one task to another. But if the tasks are similar, then it makes much more sense to do the tasks together. For example, you can create an entire week of posts by doing them all at once instead of setting a time each day to create the next day’s posts. Other tasks, such as resizing images, creating an email copy, and entering accounting records, are best done at once.
Part of the benefit of combining tasks comes from saving time browsing and logging into the software used to complete the task, and part of the benefit coming from focusing on a single idea. So you can set up all your email transmissions for the month in one session.
Avoid distractions
Distractions at all levels reduce efficiency and productivity. Each person has different distractions, which means you need to know what things can attract their attention from your work and make sure to avoid or limit them. The relative absence of distractions explains, at least in part, why working from home resulted in higher levels of productivity when offices closed due to Covid restrictions. A recent study found that crashes helped optimize performance by nearly 49 minutes each day.
While there are benefits to the loose interpersonal interactions that occur in the average office, too much interaction is distracting, albeit welcome to many people. So if you are facing a deadline, keep the door closed or put a sign in your cubicle that says you cannot speak for a certain time. If someone’s conversation is distracting you, politely ask them to leave your desk. If you find that children are constantly asking for snacks, try to set a scheduled time for snacks and do not provide snacks except during that period of time.
Conclution
In today’s fast-paced world of work, you need to optimize performance to stay in the game. Try these tactics to help.
Autor: Angela Hausman, PhD
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I run Hausman and Associates, a full-service marketing company that operates at the intersection of marketing and digital media. We offer a host of digital marketing solutions including content marketing, email marketing, SEO / SEM, social media marketing, lead generation, as well as marketing strategy, branding, market research, and a variety of… View complete profile ›
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