subject: Are You Multitasking Your Way Out of Business? [print this page] Are You Multitasking Your Way Out of Business?
Multitasking.
We all do it in response to the incessant demands on our time. And we all think that it helps us get more done on the job. But current research shows that multitasking does not serve us well, and that we engage in the behavior at our own peril.
In a recent study, researchers at Vanderbilt University used MRI imaging to monitor brain functioning in people engaged in more than one activity at a time. They summarized their findings as follows:
"When humans attempt to perform two tasks at once, execution of the first task usually leads to postponement of the second one. This task delay is thought to result from a bottleneck occurring at a central, amodal stage of information processing that precludes two response selection or decision-making operations from being concurrently executed. Our results suggest that a neural network of frontal lobe areas acts as a central bottleneck of information processing that severely limits our ability to multitask."
Or in plain English, humans suck at multitasking.
For starters, trying to focus on several things at once makes us less efficient.A million years of evolution has designed the human brain to focus on one task at a time. In a recent study, participants who engaged in several tasks at once took nearly 1/3 longer to complete those tasks. They also made twice as many errors as those who did the same tasks one at a time.
Multitasking inhibits creativity. A Harvard Business School study evaluated the daily work patterns of several thousand people involved in projects that required creativity and innovation. They found that those who focused on one activity for long periods of time exhibited higher levels of creative thinking. Those who experienced highly fragmented days, with ongoing interruptions and constant interaction with others, showed significantly lower levels.
Researchers have also found that multitasking causes stress. (As if we didn't know!) Multiple studies have shown that multitaskers exhibit higher levels of stress hormones. In addition, surveys have found that most people believe that struggling to keep up with information overload has lowered job satisfaction and caused conflict in their personal relationships. Some even reported that it damaged their health.
Worse, multitasking is addictive. We all know at least one person who can't go five minutes without checking their cell phone for text or voice messages. So it's no surprise that another Harvard study found that multitaskers often report feeling the equivalent of a "dopamine squirt" (dopamine is one of the feel-good brain chemicals) when engaged in a multitasking episode.
Clearly, multitasking is more than just a bad habit. It's a threat to our effectiveness as leaders and the success of our organizations. Not only does multitasking fail to produce the results we hope for, it actually works against the goals we're trying to achieve. In today's fast-moving markets, if we don't get it right the first time we may not get a second chance.
To break this cycle of well-intentioned but self-destructive behavior:
1. Focus. Focus starts with having a clear definition of what winning looks like for your organization. Define what it will look like at the end of 2011 when you have been insanely successful. Then stage your field of vision by keeping your goals and objectives in front of you throughout the day. Put them on your computer screen and carry them in your notebook. Set up task reminders to ping you, or write them on your whiteboard. Post them in the lobby of your office, or on your mirror at home. When you get distracted or interrupted, these visual cues will serve as powerful reminders to refocus on what's really important.
2. Stop trying to know it all. With so much information available, we can't possibly stay current with everything going on in our businesses, markets and industries. Previous generations of business leaders had to learn to delegate tasks and responsibilities. We have to get comfortable delegating information management. It's okay to know a little about a lot of things. We need to restrict our in-depth information gathering and analysis to those areas where we have the most impact.
3. Schedule alone time. Here's where most business leaders struggle. We get results through other people, so it just doesn't feel right to shut our office door and work by ourselves without interruption for any length of time. Yet, research shows time and again that business leaders need long periods of uninterrupted time in order to perform at peak levels. Alone time allows us to slow down and look at things differently. It reduces stress and gets the creative juices flowing. Most important, it enables us to refocus on the high-level activities we should be doing that move us closer to our strategic goals.
4. Manage your information/interruption flow. Develop a system and structure for managing the tidal wave of information that comes at you each day, starting with taking control of your email inbox. Instead of answering emails as they arrive, pick one or two times of the day to review and respond. The same goes for voice and text messages on your cell phone or PDA. Make it a policy to respond only to those emails and phone messages that require action or a decision from you. Coach your direct reports on what kind of information and issues they should bring to you and what you expect them to handle on their own. And when you schedule alone time, work to truly minimize interruptions by setting expectations on what you consider an emergency' or urgent' so that others are clear on when it might be OK.
5. Get in the habit of pausing. As business leaders, we thrive on solving problems and getting things done. When we respond quickly to a request or nip a small problem in the bud, it yields instant satisfaction. But that feel-good moment often comes at the expense of more important activities that don't have to be handled right now, but have severe long-term consequences if they don't get done. To counteract this tendency to do what makes us feel good versus what we should be doing, get in the habit of pausing several times a day. Stop what you're doing and ask yourself, "Is this task something I should be doing, or am I responding to someone else's sense of urgency? Does this activity represent the best and highest use of my time? Will what I am now engaged in help us to win? Will this make a difference a year from now?"
In today's time-deprived, more-on-our-plates-than-we-can-handle-at-one-time workplace, multitasking seems like a sensible approach to the incessant demands on our time and attention. But we can feel the stress it creates, both mentally and physically. And we can no longer ignore the mounting evidence that disproves the effectiveness of this misguided workplace strategy.
Integrate these five steps into your daily routine and you'll become more focused and productive while setting an example that everyone in your organization would do well to follow.
