Multi-Tasking and Management
In today's world we are constantly being given the opportunity to do multiple things at once. You used to be considered exceptional if you could walk and chew gum at the same time but now you need to be on the cell phone, answering your e-mail and reviewing your favorite blogs.
The terrible thing about our attempt to do so many things at one time is that humans are pretty mediocre multi-taskers. Brain research has shown that productivity actually goes down when we attempt to do many things at the same time.
Multi-tasking's negative impact on productivity is especially true when working with people. I have tried to read my e-mail and listen to coworkers or to track events on a TV and listen to subordinates. It just doesn't work. People know when they are getting the short end of your attention span and they get upset and it impacts their morale. Working with people is generally the most complex and complicated job that a manager has. Getting it right can make or break the company and the manager.
A related problem is our growing Attention Deficit. The more that we multi-task the less time that we spend on any given issue, person or job. So when we are managing, we always want our colleague's to get to the point, to cut to the chase, etc. It is as if we want all of our information presented in soundbites. Some problems with this simplification of communication are that not all of us are good at soundbites and most of life's problems are not simple. An interconnected, global world is more complex not less.
It's time to reinforce that old cliche "Do one thing at a time."
The terrible thing about our attempt to do so many things at one time is that humans are pretty mediocre multi-taskers. Brain research has shown that productivity actually goes down when we attempt to do many things at the same time.
Multi-tasking's negative impact on productivity is especially true when working with people. I have tried to read my e-mail and listen to coworkers or to track events on a TV and listen to subordinates. It just doesn't work. People know when they are getting the short end of your attention span and they get upset and it impacts their morale. Working with people is generally the most complex and complicated job that a manager has. Getting it right can make or break the company and the manager.
A related problem is our growing Attention Deficit. The more that we multi-task the less time that we spend on any given issue, person or job. So when we are managing, we always want our colleague's to get to the point, to cut to the chase, etc. It is as if we want all of our information presented in soundbites. Some problems with this simplification of communication are that not all of us are good at soundbites and most of life's problems are not simple. An interconnected, global world is more complex not less.
It's time to reinforce that old cliche "Do one thing at a time."
posted by Bret Rigby at 1:23 PM
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