Multitasking in the workplace has become a mandatory skill. According to a recent study, workplace interruptions, such as phone calls or the arrival of e-mail, consume more than two hours of the average professional’s workday. So how can you multitask effectively?
In the workplace, multitasking has become a mandatory skill. According to a study by information technology research firm Basex, daily workplace interruptions, such as phone calls or the arrival of e-mail, consume more than two hours of the average professional’s workday. As a result, it is necessary to sometimes work on multiple projects simultaneously. While doing so can help you save time and increase your productivity, excessive multitasking can cause the opposite to occur.
Consider a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which shows that being distracted while learning new tasks or information adversely affects a person’s ability to retain that information.
A study on emergency room physicians indicates that they get interrupted about 50 times in a 3 hour session while tending to 12 patients (these are all averages). Of those, about 20 caused the physicians to switch to a different task. While undoubtedly some patients have died, physicians are still reasonably effective at saving lives, but maybe that’s because becoming an emergency room doctor has already weeded out those who aren’t able to multitask effectively.
Other studies done in neuroscience indicate that each time a person switches back and forth between tasks, the brain goes through several time-consuming activities, including: a) a selection process for choosing a new activity; b) turning off the mental rules needed to do the first task; c) turning on the mental rules needed to do the second task; and d) orienting itself to the conditions currently surrounding the new task. In the same field, another research indicates that jumping back and forth between tasks can take four times longer to accomplish them – simply due to the time required for switching gears.
So, it appears that multitasking is a great computational burden with various mental course corrections taking place, but it is unavoidable with both work and personal life requiring us to address so many different tasks simultaneously. Then how can you multitask effectively?
Approaching multitask behaviour from a computational perspective with state taking the place of thinking and decision-making can be useful. This approach describes setting up notifications that pop up when certain programming tasks have been completed, essentially pushing the information processing burden (the need to be alert and check on the status of certain tasks) onto the computer. With this is mind, here are some practical tips to multitask effectively:
1. Arrange daily tasks by priority – Take time at the beginning of the day to decide which tasks have priority and schedule their completion first. Make a checklist of tasks that you check off as you complete them. If you have a common set of tasks to do each day, just type it up and print it out every morning.
2. Organize pending tasks by groups as they are related – To reduce the mental processing burden, group related tasks together. Try to find some sort of narrative to fit the tasks in so they seem to fit together. That’ll reduce the effort needed to switch gears.
3. Organize your computer’s desktop – Change the layout of your computer. You could designate the upper left corner of your desktop to be the area where priority tasks go, the upper right as slightly less urgent tasks, and so on. Or you could group tasks into categories and mentally envision a grid that separates them on your desktop.
4. Make reminder notes – Make a quick note whenever you stop one task to work on another so you can glance at it to refresh yourself when switch back. You might want to learn a shorthand to be even more efficient.
Effective multi-tasking also relies on effective time management and that means, whether you like or not, working from a calendar. Without having to keep everything in your head, complicating your already busy life – you can write it down and let it go to some extent. You don’t have to stress about forgetting it because it will be in your calendar. Sticking to your calendar can bring significant relief and a sense of control. Try it. You will be glad you did. Calendaring may take some getting used to, but it really does make your life simpler by maximizing time and performance. You will feel in control of your life and enjoy it even more. With improved efficiency and great time management you will get more done in a shorter amount of time – all with less stress.