Last Tuesday I almost burned down my kitchen. In my quest to do all the important things on my list, I decided to multitask. I put the bacon on the stove and then went to my office to answer a couple of emails while simultaneously making an important phone call. I was so engrossed (and overloaded) that I completely forgot about the bacon. I totally burned the pan and black smoke filled the house. It was not a pretty scene.
Multitasking is overrated. You think you are doing much more, but in fact you are not. You just end up doing a few things wrong (i.e. burnt bacon and an interrupted phone call) than doing one thing really right. It is a fact that quality suffers when we multitask.
I often hear clients talk about multitasking as if it is the sought-after skill that will help them get more done in less time. I even see “multitasking ability” in most job postings. We have become obsessed with trying to squeeze as much as possible out of every minute of our day in the unrealistic quest to be perfectly efficient.
This article provides strategies for reducing multitasking and increasing your focus on improving performance.
The “skill” of multitasking has become a popular buzzword in organizations. But it’s killing our business. It is killing our effectiveness. In fact, it has the opposite effect of what we are trying to achieve. And that’s because our brains weren’t designed to do more than one great thing at a time. Research has shown that workers waste an average of two hours a day recovering from outages and multitasking. It costs companies about $ 650 billion a year; Not to mention stress, loss of composure, and sloppy work.
Remember the days before cell phones, blackberries, and email? When you left work, you actually left it at the office. Technology is meant to make our lives easier, but that is not what happens to most professionals. We feel more stressed and over stimulated than ever. We can’t seem to get away for a mental break.
Have you ever left your office at the end of the day and thought, “What did I do today?” If you can’t pin down what you accomplished, you probably spent much of your day multitasking. One of the best things professionals can do to improve performance is to focus on one thing at a time.
Here are six strategies to improve your focus (and your performance!):
Focus on one task at a time. Set aside a specific time in your schedule to focus on a project. Get in the habit of scheduling your entire work day into time frames meant to focus on specific tasks and projects.
Check email only a few times a day. Turn off email and message alerts so they don’t distract you when you’re trying to focus. Schedule a few specific times in your day to check email and messages and focus only on that task.
Say no and simplify your life. You don’t have to volunteer for everything. Pick a couple of things that you really enjoy and do them well. When asked to take responsibility, tell the person you will think about it and respond.
Change your scenery. Most of the professionals I know can’t do much in their office because that’s where most of their distractions are. Find a quiet conference room or go to a local coffee shop to get away from distractions and improve your concentration.
Focus on two or three accomplishments a day. Executives often make a list of ten or fifteen things to accomplish in one day. We are too overwhelmed because our expectations are not realistic. Pick two or three important tasks for the day and focus on accomplishing them (and doing them well). If you finish earlier, you can move on to another task.
Delegate tasks and projects that others can handle. Most of the managers I have worked with do not use their employees’ resources effectively. Either they feel they don’t have time to teach employees or that their staff will resent them for piling up more work. The truth is, most employees enjoy the challenge and want to help their boss. Keep only the top initiatives you need to participate in and delegate other tasks.
I’ve seen huge improvements in my efficiency and quality of work when I focus on one thing at a time. Learning how to banish it from your life is a work in progress and will take some time. But with practice and focus, you will feel less stressed and more fulfilled.