Multitasking, the myth we are living with

Are you a master at multitasking? Think again. In today’s fast-paced world, multitasking has become a badge of honour, a sign of efficiency and productivity. But what if I told you that multitasking is actually slowing you down and damaging your brain? When we try to juggle multiple tasks at the same time, multitasking becomes a twisted form of bragging rights. But isn’t multitasking turning out to be our speed bump and, perhaps, making us as slow as a three-legged turtle in molasses?

In today’s fast-paced world, multitasking has long been touted as a hallmark of efficiency and effectiveness. However, multitasking is nothing more than a misnomer, a mirage of productivity that diverts us from real progress.

Consider, for example, a typical workday filled with interruptions and distractions. We check our email, text messages, and social media while working on a report, attending a conference call, or writing a proposal. This is the epitome of multitasking, but it is far from productive. Researchers have found that multitasking can increase stress, decrease focus, and reduce performance. When we try to juggle multiple tasks at once, our brain becomes overwhelmed, resulting in impaired cognitive control and efficiency.

In addition, multitasking skills are largely a myth. We cannot do two complex tasks simultaneously with the same level of quality as we can do them sequentially, regardless of how hard we try. Our brains are not designed to switch between tasks as efficiently and accurately as they can perform one task at a time. By jumping from one activity to another, our folks aren’t practising multitasking, but task switching.

Several studies have shown that multitasking negatively impacts productivity.

KPMG found that multitasking can reduce productivity by 40%. According to the study, it takes an average of 25 minutes for individuals to regain focus after switching tasks. In turn, this results in a decrease in overall productivity and an increase in time spent on tasks.

According to Gartner, a leading research and advisory firm, multitasking can reduce overall productivity by 15%. Individuals who frequently switch between tasks tend to have lower cognitive control and are less able to filter out distractions, resulting in decreased efficiency and productivity.

In its report, “The multitasking myth,” Deloitte found that multitasking negatively impacts creativity and productivity. It was found that when individuals are engaged in multiple tasks simultaneously, their performance on each task decreases compared to when they focus solely on one. When attempting to focus on multiple tasks at once, cognitive overload occurs.

Several globally renowned enterprises, notably the FAANG companies, have realized the ramifications of multitasking. The company’s renowned 20% time policy, which allowed employees to spend 20% of their work time on side projects, was ended partly because multitasking negatively affected productivity. Now, the company encourages “deep work” sessions in order to maximize individual productivity.

Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s CEO, is a strong advocate of deep work and has infused it into the culture of the company. To increase focus and creativity, employees are encouraged to work in uninterrupted 90-minute blocks.

It’s time for more companies to abandon multitasking and embrace a new approach to productivity. Companies can foster a more efficient, focused, and productive workforce by encouraging employees to focus on a single task at a time. It’s easier to cultivate a culture of excellence when you prioritize deep work over shallow multitasking.

Let this sink in sooner- multitasking is a false promise of productivity, a bane of our modern work lives that detracts from genuine progress and undermines the quality of our work. Deep work unlocks the full potential of employees and helps companies succeed.