Multi-tasking. That’s the biggest mistake people make each and every day.
Wait, you think you are good at multi-tasking?
If you are, then I’ll wager that the quality of your work isn’t as good as it could be.
If you aren’t good at multi-tasking, I’ll wager that you have someone in your life wondering why you aren’t able to get more done. Which is probably why you are looking for ways to get better at multi-tasking.
But the truth is the concept of multi-tasking is a lie. Oh sure, I know that someone will tell me about a chef who is able to juggle the preparation of many dishes at once or doctors that are able to handle many patients throughout a day. While you may believe that those are fine examples I will offer up a different viewpoint, one that helps you to understand that despite such appearances they are still only doing one thing at a time.
Let’s take my current role as a Technical Evangelist for Confio Software. This role requires that my primary function is one of conversations. But how do those conversations happen?
- Creating content (like this blog post), presentations, etc.
- Product demos
- Emails
- Phone calls
- Attending events
How many conversations do you believe I can have at once?
One. I can have one. One is the correct answer. I can converse with a group of people, but I speak one word, one sentence, one thought at a time.
When I am composing an email, I’d like to be focused on the email. Same for writing this blog post (although, truthfully, I switched contexts and made some popcorn while writing this post. But I was not making or eating popcorn and typing at the same time, mind you.)
Oh, sure, there are some tasks that I can kick off during the day that don’t require much attention. I could fold laundry while watching documentaries about Sharknados, for example. But those are low-risk, low-pain activities. If I miss the scene where they finally get Tara Reid out of the liquor store or my laundry is not folded neatly then I’m not losing all that much.
If my activities (like having conversations) are critical to my job performance then I don’t want to be switching between tasks. Every time I switch from one task to another it becomes harder to regain my focus and this in turn will lower the quality of my work.
The term multi-tasking appears to have it’s origins from computer processing (CPUs). The idea was that processors would be able to switch between tasks so quickly that they could “multi-task”. Here’s the quote you need to read again:
“Multitasking refers to the ability of the OS to quickly switch between each computing task to give the impression the different applications are executing multiple actions simultaneously.”
So, “give the impression” means that even a CPU can only do one task at a time. The real trick is having multiple processors available in order to allow for many applications to execute simultaneously.
Consider this classic example with Lt. Commander Data
How much better would that kiss have been had all available processors been thinking about the kiss, and not on a food supplement for Spot? I’d argue that since he loses the girl by the end of the episode it just reinforces how multi-tasking leads to poorer performance no matter if you are “fully functional” or not.
For additional background information on how multi-tasking is a lie I will refer you to a 2009 study by Stanford’s own Clifford Nass. You can read more about the study here: http://businto regg. to keep switching my focusess.time.com/2013/04/17/dont-multitask-your-brain-will-thank-you/
In short, if you believe that you are good at multi-tasking then you are living a lie. So what can you do about it?
Focus.
Pick one thing to do, then do it. Then move on to the next thing. Remove distractions. Turn off Twitter and Facebook while you are working on something else. Don’t check your email every minute. Allow yourself to focus on one thing at a time, get that thing done, and be proud of the level of quality.
Chances are others will start to notice an improvement in the quality of your work as well.
“To do two things at once is to do neither.” – Publilius Syrus
Great article, I’ll be passing this one around to some people. Oh, and thanks for including an example of how multi-tasking can detract from quality. Your typo in “looking for ways to get batter at multi-tasking” is a perfect illustration of the point you’re trying to make! Towels done yet?
Yeah…I was distracted when I wrote that sentence. And it appears that I forgot a link. Both issues now fixed. Towels have yet to fold themselves. No idea where Tara Reid is today.
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve noticed that once a browser is open (twitter, forums, email, whatever) it takes me much more time to finish a task. The only things I can combine well is giving the baby the bottle and watching TV at the same time (if I don’t stick it in his eye that is)
Oh, I remember those days!
Another example I can think for multi-tasking is texting and driving. We loose focus while doing multiple tasks. I always prefer “one at a time” method.
Yes, that is a very bad habit, and one I am finally breaking free from!
Nailed it.
Thanks!
What you said is right , there’s nothing called Multi-taksing for our brains ….Just came across this video in youtube which proves it very well http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=htl1xfbi1LQ
………….Nice post Rockstar !!!!!
Interesting how people randomly have a brain on their coffee table hahaha!
Nice video!
Great post Thomas —“multi-threading is for computers,but human are single-threaded and will be”
Thanks!
I’ve been on this boat for a while, problem is the general public still see it as a great asset. They write in job descriptions that the person needs to be able to multitask, switch quickly between tasks, etc. Hire an Android then! Some tasks are multitaskable, especially those that rely on motor-memory but for someone to be able to write a SQL stored procedure, while talking with someone, and restoring a backup… yeah that’s not going to happen. Hopefully this idea will start to make its way back into mainstream.
Agreed, some people truly believe that this is possible.
Man! I could not agree more!
That fallacy is world widespread, thanks to this “generation Z” nonsense, where people claim that they “were born with computers” so they can do several things at the same time that are not “natural” for others, like you said: check twitter, facebook, youtube while working on something else.
Isn’t interesting that the examples of “multi-tasking” are always doing silly things?
I would like to see one of those bozos that claim to be multi-task to try at the same time:
1) Learn quantum physics;
2) Speak over the phone in a different language;
3) Debug a huge stored procedure (well… that may be easy… who knows 😉 )
You post just summarized what I have trying to explain in the past few years and it just entered on my “favorites for life”
Rogerio,
Thanks for the kind words! I don’t think I’ve ever been entered on “favorites for life” before, I’m honored!
Tom
When I say I am good at multitasking, I mean that when I hit a stopper on one task I will switch to another task. Yes, the quality of the work on each task will be a bit lower than if you were able to stick with each one until it was finished, but I can’t imagine just staring at the wall waiting for whatever the blockage is to clear up–and even that would be a form of multitasking. Unless you work on an exceptionally well-resourced, well-managed team where everything you need for all tasks is at your fingertips, I think you pretty much _have_ to multitask or you won’t be very productive.
Amy,
That’s a fair point. However, how many tasks do you believe you should be trying to switch contexts for? Three? Five? Seven?
At some point you hit a limit. Some projects require more focus and longer (uninterrupted) hours. Piling more work onto someone isn’t a way to get them to accomplish more, not if you are expecting a certain level of quality.
Tom