Inefficient Multitasking at Work
Passive and Active Switchtasking Prevents Productivity
Sep 14, 2008
The book, The Myth of Multitasking by Dave Crenshaw [Jossey-Bass, 2008] is a phenomenal eye opener for those who think multitasking is a good way to get work done, who encourage employees to multitask, and even seek multitasking experts as new hires. This new method of time management takes into account the complexities of the age of information overload.
Crenshaw carefully points out that constant interruptions and juggling multiple tasks diverts concentration away from the task at hand and the cost of these interruptions can be as high as fifty percent of the time!
Crenshaw uses a simple exercise to point out how much more time it takes to complete a task when focus is bounced from one task to another and back again versus keeping the focus on one task at a time.
Crenshaw’s Multitasking Exercise
- Take a piece of paper and a pen.
- Get a stop watch or timer ready and on one side of the paper write the phase “Multitasking is worse than a lie” but alternate writing a letter on one line with writing a number below the phrase on the next line starting at 1 and ending at 27.
- Time how long it takes to complete this task.
- Reset the stop watch or timer.
- On the flip side of the paper, time how long it takes to write the same phrase all at once on one line and then write the numbers from 1 to 27 below the phrase on the next line.
The point of the exercise is that it takes up to twice as long to finish a simple task if the focus is diverted and switching from task to task is necessary. “Switchtasking” is Crenshaw’s term for true multitasking i.e. that the brain can only focus on one task at a time and can’t literally multitask. In reality, multitasking requires switching from one task to another. Although it may seem subconscious, the brain is hard at work. There is a cost to this switching of tasks. It costs us time and energy.
Correct the Inefficiencies of Switchtasking
- Turn off all passive sources of interruption which include:
- instant messaging
- voicemail alerts
- Discourage impromptu meetings or discussions
Crenshaw Suggests
- Scheduling recurring meetings with direct reports based on the frequency of their needs to reduce their anxiety and keep their work flowing. For example, a direct report that interrupts you five times or more a day needs a recurring thirty minute appointment daily. On the other hand, a direct report that currently interrupts you once a day would need a 30 minute recurring meeting once a week. The book offers a worksheet to help calculate which direct reports need a more frequent meeting time.
- Putting a note on a closed door to let staff know when you will be available if you need some uninterrupted time.
- Focusing more on background tasking than switchtasking i.e. tasks that can be completed simultaneously because one task does not require mental alertness e.g. printing a document and writing a report.
- Creating a time budget
The beauty of this book is that it is an easy read. The case study or story is colorfully told and it simply illustrates a typical over worked CEO and a few key concepts that are easy to implement for quick results. The worksheets in the back of the book offer practical exercises to help implement his tips and increase workplace efficiency.
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