Multitasking, once considered a viable qualification for employment, has been increasingly under attack as an inefficient way of conducting business. Unfortunately, most of us still work in environments where multitasking is common.
In a study on multitasking the University of London found that “Workers distracted by e-mail and phone calls suffer a fall in IQ more than twice that found in marijuana smokers.” That’s not very comforting!
Multitasking is actually the ability to shift between tasks very quickly. Also known as timeslicing, these transitions happen so quickly it appears like multitasking. However, each time you switch between tasks you must back up just a bit and review where you left off to make sure you don’t miss any critical information, essentially doing the same work over and over. The constant starting and stopping of tasks leads to “mental friction” and increased stress.
How do you combat this problem? As an exercise, try working without your email open for an hour a day. Then try two hours a day. Another option is to put your phone on “Do Not Disturb.” Go ahead, let a few emails and voicemails pile up. You’ll be surprised to learn no one expects an answer within 5 minutes. Creating time for yourself free from frequent distrations will lower your stress and increase productivity.
We’ll be covering advanced techniques for effectively managing information in future blog posts.
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