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Multitasking: Smart or Dumb?

By
Education & Training with Advantage Solutions Group

You know the feeling: you are a businessperson, a spouse, a parent, a caregiver to your parent and a volunteer on many community activities.....so the only way to be time-efficient is to do several things at once. Sort mail while talking on the phone, send e-mail on your PDA while sitting in a committee meeting, help with homework while designing your next marketing piece. Multitasking seems the only way to keep juggling and to get it all done. Sound familiar?

A growing body of scientific studies confirms what I have been telling my coaching clients: multitasking is actually inefficient and will, in the end, take you more time and impact the quality your results as well as your physical wellbeing. Many agents complain to me they need to be more focused and yet they are doing so many things at once, their brain is robbed of the opportunity to do one thing well before moving to the next.

Doing more than one activity at a time diminishes the focus on both and will usually result in a lower degree of excellence. The cost involved in the juggling is high, according to a study by Carnegie Mellon University. Subjects were asked to listen to sentences while comparing two rotating objects. The study found the resources available for the brain to pay attention visually dropped 29 percent and the listening brain activation dropped by 53%. So sorting your junk mail while talking with a client may result in throwing something away you should have kept or missing a clue to something amiss with the client!

From a standpoint of time -which multitaskers think they are maximizing- studies have shown it takes at least 25 percent more time to return and restart an activity when it has been interrupted. The more complicated the tasks, the more time is lost according to a study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology. So, the benefit to doing one thing with complete focus and attention is actually a time saver. You'll find that scheduling time or setting boundaries (such as a closed office door) when you can do projects without interruptions will help you accomplish more.

Other reasons to rethink your multitasking relate to the results of the stress it creates internally. Your short term memory is affected. What we baby-boomers are now lovingly referring to as a "senior moment" can usually be traced to multitasking. According to David Meyer, a psychology professor at the University of Michigan, "Intense multitasking can induce a stress response, an adrenaline rush that when prolonged can damage cells that form new memory." Additional information on adrenaline addiction and how to overcome it is documented at www.joeann.com/ada.htm

You can consciously reduce your multi-tasking by noticing it and taking some of the following steps. The practice of meditation is valuable in quieting the external chatter and allowing you to create more focus. Mindfulness and experiencing each moment, instead of rushing through your activities will benefit you with more satisfaction and awareness. Truly being present and listening in a deeper way to each person you come in contact with will benefit you in better communication and relationships. When you don't answer the phone while you are working on a project, or when you close that office door, you can reduce distractions and become much more efficient. Getting plenty of rest will pay off in increased groundedness and focus. So, next time you get the urge to multi-task, challenge yourself to stop and give each task attention, one thing at a time!

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Comments (4)

Ki Gray
Austin, TX
Austin Real Estate
Great post.  I try to set aside certain times to do certain tasks so I dont go crazy.
Jul 17, 2007 10:08 AM
Leon Austin
Mobile Notary Services - Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Mobile Notary

Joeann, you make a good case for prioritizing the things that we need to do. Good post.

 

Jul 17, 2007 10:25 AM
Celeste "SALLY" Cheeseman
Liberty Homes - Mililani, HI
(RA) AHWD CRS ePRO OAHU HAWAII REAL ESTATE
Now I have to add one more task!  Check out my tasks and give each one attention :) .  Thanks for a detailed article ...it will help me...I am famous for starting one thing and moving to another...like when I'm on AR....I have Outlook open in case I get incoming mail....if something comes in and I need to do a doc or something I continue to client folder etc....and it gets bad sometimes. (I comment in between)
Jul 18, 2007 04:37 AM
Joeann Fossland
Advantage Solutions Group - Tucson, AZ
Master Certified Coach to Motivated Agents

KI  Setting aside time in blocks is one of the smartest things you can do! Sounds like you are a smart cookie

 

Leon Thanks for coming by and reading! And you can get more by subscribing to my weekly Tuesday Tips!

Sally I think we all have a little of that ADD behavior. Reining it in can make you more effective. I also like meditating to calm and focus my energy. While it seems like even one MORE thing to do, it supports the effectiveness! Thanks for your comments

Jul 19, 2007 05:02 AM