The Myth of Multitasking

Multitasking kills your time, enhance stress, lowers quality, lose focus, increase cost and in most of the cases ended up with no result.

 Multitaskers pay mental price, Stanford study shows…

Think you can talk on the phone, send an instant message and read your e-mail all at once? Stanford researchers say even trying may impair your cognitive control.

 “When we think we're multitasking we're actually multi-switching. That is what the brain is very good at doing - quickly diverting its attention from one place to the next. We think we're being productive. We are, indeed, being busy. But in reality, we're simply giving ourselves extra work.”

― Michael Harris

• We have experienced quite frequently that we missed the exits during driving while texting on the cell phone! And ultimately it leads to frustration, waste time and cost as well.

Switching would reduce productivity and result in Switching Cost… Time, Quality, Focus

Test: Try this to learn how Switching even in Small tasks leads to deviating focus and waste time. 

We are going to experiment with your ability to complete your project work. For part one of the experiment, you must work on all three projects simultaneously.

Project A: Write A-J | Project B: Write 1-10 | Project C: Write I - X

So once you write the A under the Project A column you must next go to the Project B column and write the 1, then go to the Project C column and write the I.

Now you can go back to Project A and write in the next letter, again continuing to Project B and then to Project C.

Use StopWatch and see how much time you put in this activity.

Now we continue the experiment. Now you can only work on one project at a time. So finish Project A, then start Project B, then start Project C.

You’ll see how much time you save and also increase focus and reduce switching tension.

 According to the American Psychological Association:

“[A]lthough switch costs may be relatively small, sometimes just a few tenths of a second per switch, they can add up to large amounts when people switch repeatedly back and forth between tasks. Thus, multitasking may seem efficient on the surface but may actually take more time in the end and involve more error. Meyer has said that even brief mental blocks created by shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40 percent of someone’s productive time.”

Negative Impact:

• 40% Drop In productivity
• Take 50% Longer to Accomplish a Task
• Add 50% More Errors
• IQ drops of 15 points 
• Less Brain Density: a region responsible for empathy as well as cognitive and emotional control.

Two Types of multitasking : 

1. . Performing Two Tasks Together e.g. Writing an email while talking on the phone.
2. Switch without finishing the first one: Jumping to the next and the next...

Manage Multitasking: 

1.     Identify and Segment Most Complex or Unfamiliar Tasks: Unitask at your Prime Time

Perform Complex and strategic task without interruption. Check your daily timetable and place complex, unfamiliar and strategic tasks into that time quadrant where you’ll experience minimal distractions or interruptions, focus on one task at a time, finish it completely then switch to the next one. Avoid using a cellphone, social media, phone calls, checking emails as much as possible in this time period. It will boost productivity by saving time and enhance the quality of work.

2.     Manage Multitasking With Familiar Tasks

 Multitasking can be a positive tool, but only in the case where you are doing less important or familiar day to day task. E.g. Writing email to a colleague and replying message on phone as well.

If you can’t avoid multitasking then at least make a time quadrant framework for yourself, where you place all insignificant, less strategic, familiar and day to day tasks in that quadrant where you can do multitasking easily even in case of high interruptions. 

Remember; we cannot disconnect completely but we can manage our work style to achieve maximum productivity.

-Ali Danish