“I’m a multi-tasker” she says, “I’m constantly doing 2 or 3 things at once.”
I just finished watching an interesting program from PBS’s Frontline called Digital Nation. There was a lot of really interesting parts, but the one that really stuck with me was when they were talking to a handful of MIT students who were all totally convinced that they were expert multitaskers who could fully consume multiple streams at once without significant data drop.
I’m not a true digital native, but I’ve assimilated. One thing I know for sure. There’s no such thing as multitasking. Ok, there is low level multi-tasking. I can mow the lawn while listening to my iPod.
The kind of multitasking people claim to do is just BS. You can’t talk on the phone at the same time you’re typing an email and pay attention to both activities because both use the same part of the brain. Have you ever “zoned out” and missed your exit while driving on the highway? If you could really multi-task, that would never happen.
About a year ago, I decided to check my email a lot less often. The world is still on it’s axis and I now can focus for at least a couple hours at a time. Switching between email, twitter, Facebook, data gathering, report writing, blog posting and strategic thinking should take 3 days, but we’re now convinced all that can fit into a 45 minute lunch break.
Take a minute and think back to the last really productive stretch you had. During the most productive part of that stretch, were you focused on one thing or were you multitasking?
I understand that multitasking is here to stay. I walk and txt at the same time, I check my email when I’m waiting sitting at a red light. But when I have to do real work, it requires focus. It did 20 years ago, and it will 20 years from now.
So the question now is, how do you focus in a society that tells you multitasking is the answer?
Totally agree with you. I never bought into the “multi-tasking” buzz. When people say this, I think they actually mean something more like, managing priorities for multiple tasks. Or being able to leave one task and coming back to it later to finish, without sacrificing a lot of efficiency.
I have to disagree with you, I think people actually think they can do multiple things at the same time. I think people are inherently poor at managing multiple priorities, because we gravitate to the one that’s screaming the loudest, or the one that’s the most fun.
Why listen to the professor lecture when you can be Facebooking?
I think multi-tasking (on complex tasks) is indeed a myth. The New York Times has had a series of articles in the past few years about why multitasking doesn’t really work.
Try their “Texting while driving” simulation. It’s a difficult game: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/07/19/technology/20090719-driving-game.html
Great article Karl!
Phil-great points. When I work, I constantly have multiple tabs open (twitter, blogs, etc). But my most productive day recently, was when I was so busy I didn’t have time to bother with distractions. When I changed by browsers home page to “google” instead of having all of my distracting sites open in tabs, I became less likely to frequently check them.
Thanks for busting that myth that I am too quick to buy in to.
*that I too quickly buy into.
There I go multi-tasking, watching tv and trying to comment, this results in typos.
I too am guilty of “having the tv on in the background” while working sometimes, but one always wins out. If the show is good I end up not working, or if the show is lame I do all my work.
Ha! Multi-tasking to a higher level is SUCH BS. It really is. When you brought up the “email & talk on the phone at the same time” thing, I just started laughing. It’s absolutely insane to think you can do both. How many times have you had to read a paragraph over again just because you were listening in on the conversation going on next to you in the airport (OK…so that’s eavesdropping but the point is still there).
I also got a chuckle out of the “how many times have you missed your exit while driving because you’ve zoned out” thing. Oh. My. Goodness. I freely admit I’ve done that a time or two.
However, I can listen to my iPod while cleaning the commode. That’s a no-brainer, (almost) literally. 🙂
Great post, Phil!
I wonder why our brains can handle “background music”? Now you have me wondering.
Phil, you once pointed me toward a blog post that addresses this issue. It’s one of the greatest blog posts I’ve ever read. Well worth the read: Lisa Barone of Outspoken Media’s “11 Ways I Increased Work Productivity in 2010.”
http://outspokenmedia.com/online-marketing/increase-work-productivity/
I love Lisa’s article, as usual she nails it.
Great post, Phil. Sorta freeing. Sometimes I feel guilty for not being able to TXT and talk at the same time–though I can walk and chew gum.
I’m one of those all-grown-up-ADD kids (we weren’t ADHD kids back in the good ole days). Sometimes I feel that I need to work on several projects within a span of time to keep my brain engaged. I often question whether it’s really how my brain works–or if I should better discipline myself. It’s definitely the only work pattern that I know.
Regardless, thanks for sharing this perspective.
I’m with you Jeff, looking back on my childhood I’m sure I would now be diagnosed as ADHD, but back in the stone age they just told us to sit down and keep quiet 😉
It’s physically and mentally impossible for me. The most I can do is start on a task while the computer or an appliance handles something else.
I’m right there with you Jay. I like that some tasks can run in the background while I do something productive, like get more coffee!
Phil, thanks for your post. It hits the nail on the head really! I am also one of those all-grown-up-ADD kids (never diagnosed by as a child of course), of which I just recently become aware. While jumping from task to task stimulates me, the overall bombardment of social media that one has to keep up with to do inbound marketing well, make me loose concentration and I sometimes find myself in the end not get many important tasks done at all.
I found great help the last couple of weeks in the Pomodoro technique (recommended by John Haydon) which makes one work on tasks for 25 minute chunks… highly recommended for anyone self diagnosed as ADD. http://www.pomodorotechnique.com/
And it is free!
I love the idea of focused work chunks. When I close my office door it’s go-time and I crank work out. Maybe I should close my door more often.
I can tell when I’m in the zone because someone will have to knock on my door and tell me I’m late for a meeting – ugh.
This post makes some great points. I was just thinking about how much work I was able to get done this morning by ignoring my e-mail and Twitter for an hour. One of the best things I ever did for myself was turning off the Outlook email announcement that pops up in the corner of my screen – the world will not explode if I don’t answer an e-mail instantaneously. I get so much more accomplished in a day when I work on one thing at a time.
You’re right Jen. I’ve found that the only people that expect immediate email answers are usually the ones within 100 feet of you, and if it’s an emergency they can walk down and tap you on the shoulder.
Phil,
great simple truth. i also have taken a more relaxed approach to email. signal to noise ratio is better now too, and the important things tend to bubble up.
Why is it that it takes us so long to figure out that email can wait? You’re right about the “bubbling up” idea, real important things will always find you.