Good at multitasking? Don't be!

I often cringe when I have clients send job descriptions with "must be good at multitasking" as a required skill. Why do I cringe? Because everyone is bad at multitasking. It is a very ineffective way to complete the many tasks that are required in a day. People that follow time management would agree that trying to multi-task is one of the single greatest time wasters when given a series of tasks to complete. We all have multiple tasks to complete in any given day, however, Let's review a simple scenario why multitasking is downright ineffective.

You have just completed running a load of dishes in the dishwasher and need to put them away. Multitasking is the same as grabbing a single spoon, walking across the kitchen to put it away, walking back, grabbing a single plate, walking across the kitchen, putting it away and repeating until all dishes are done. How long would it take to empty a simple dishwasher this way? That's right, ten times longer than normal. But the whole time you were multitasking; you were able to switch gears between silverware and plates at a moment's notice and maintained a rapid pace.

Of course that's not how you empty the dishwasher. You group similar tasks together in a block of time to complete it. You do not grab a single spoon to put away, you grab the whole silverware basket and put it away at one time. You move onto plates, stack them up, and carry them to the cupboard. You repeat this process with each task individually until the entire dishwasher is empty.

Many people do not realize how often they operate on the first example of putting one spoon away at a time while at work or while completing other tasks at a time. You read an email, take a call, get a cup of coffee, talk to a co-worker and repeat all day long. At the end of the day you feel like you have been full-throttle busy yet not all of your tasks have been complete. Not only is this stressful (since the tasks have to be complete later that night or have to catch up the next day) but also lack the gratification of having your tasks complete.

Consider grouping your tasks the same way as the dishwasher. Instead of checking an email everytime a new one comes in, close your email and check it every hour or two so you can respond to a dozen of them at once. Likewise, when you are checking your email turn off your phone. We have voice mail for a reason. Think of the last time you were in the middle of typing an email and took a call. How long did it take after the call to re-read the email and get your mind back on track where you left off? Repeate that twenty times in a day and you have wasted at least an hour or more doing the multi-task dance. Identify your tasks in a day, create blocks of time to complete each task, and stick to doing each one during its designated block of time. You will be shocked when 4:00pm comes, everything is complete, and you are already planning out the next day of activities.

If I were to be asked in an interview how stong my multitasking skills are I would be proud to say horrible at best. I would explain that my multitasking skills may be horrible, however, I typically get more accomplished in a day than three or four people combined because I am able to complete many tasks in their designated blocks of time given the deadlines required.

Like any new habit it is hard at first. Give it a try for just two days and see how much more accomplished and stress free you feel by abondoning a multitask mentality and instead completing many tasks in their own designated block of time.

Unless, of course, you work for the DMV. Then I'm sure you follow multitasking like a preacher follows the bible. (Written while waiting 2 hours to write a check for my registration).