Can you increase productivity by multitasking?
It's a question asked with some regularity by many, and let me be up front with the answer...NO!
Video over right?
Well, before you click off let me go through why multitasking does not work and importantly,
what you can do instead to benefit your productivity!
First let's understand what multitasking is.
Take a real world example, you are at work and plugging away at a task you need to complete,
when you suddenly get notified about a message that has just come in.
You figure you may as well quickly reply to get it off your list before continuing with
your task.
After all, it should only take a moment to reply and then you can focus on your task
again...right?
Well, not quite, you see as you respond to the message, you actually take your attention
and thought processes away from the task at hand, meaning when you comeback to continuing
that task, you effectively have to re-engage with the task, something which in itself requires
greater effort than if you had just continued working on it.
So...
What Effect Can Multitasking Have?
You see the problem with multitasking is that you can't pay full attention to a single task
when trying to spread your attention to multiple tasks.
This can influence and impact your diligence when working and cause you to make mistakes.
It also takes more time and effort to actually complete a task when you go through this process,
because now not only are you putting in more energy to focus on the task at hand, but the
time required to get your head into that task anytime you are disrupted will slow down progress.
For example, in one study conducted back in 2015, college students were monitored in their
performance when studying, with those attempting to multitask not only taking longer to do
their homework, but actually getting lower grades in the assignments.
With this in mind...
Does Multitasking Ever Work?
So there are some circumstances where multitasking can work, most prominently when people perform
a motor skill they feel extremely comfortable doing whilst listening to something that stimulates
the mind.
For example, listening to something whilst walking is a form of multitasking where we
don't lose too much in the act of walking.
That's because most of us are highly proficient in walking having done so all our lives, so
listening to something while walking is unlikely to be detrimental to us.
That said, it is limited to a point, as sure enough the act of physically walking is not
affected, but your awareness of your surroundings is, and so you might be less effective in
dealing with hazards in your path.
For example, a study conducted in the US found that in 2011 the number of accidents due to
people having headphones on tripled when compared to 2004, showing clear signs that people are
less proficient even in the most basic of tasks when trying to multitask.
So, if multitasking is so bad...
What Should You Do Instead?
Knowing that multitasking is inefficient in your use of your energy and can have detrimental
effects on your performance, there is clear evidence that you are better off having focused
time and effort dedicated towards completing specific tasks.
First and foremost, this means you need to...
Schedule Your Time
By scheduling your time you put in dedicated time to focus on a task.
During this time, it's highly recommended to remove all other distractions to allow
you to maintain concentration.
Batch Tasks
Rather than responding to certain notifications whenever they appear, it's best to switch
off notifications and batch tasks together so that you are not disrupted when focusing
on a particular task.
A good example is to avoid responding to emails immediately, batching them up to respond at
set times in the day.
Work On Important Tasks First
Often people tend to perform at their best early in the day, so it is often best to focus
on the most important or challenging task early in your day.
This can also help as you can make progress on this task while people are still easing
into their day, meaning you are less likely to be disrupted.
Give Yourself Space
People often equate productivity with getting more done at a particular moment or putting
"in the time" to solve a problem.
While this is true in part, there are times it can actually be beneficial to give yourself
time away from challenging problems.
This is because it allows the prefrontal cortex, a part of the brain that helps form ideas,
to effectively have time to put the pieces of a puzzle together.
You see the prefrontal cortex can only focus on one thing at a time and does not work as
effectively when bombarded with information.
So rather than overwhelming it, you are better off giving it the space it needs to work at
its optimum.
Focus On Less
This idea is built upon the principle of the 80/20 rule, whereby we find the majority of
our results often come from just 20% of the tasks we do.
Therefore, rather than trying to do more tasks in a given time frame, it is often wiser to
focus on the priority tasks that will gain the greatest results.
One effective way to do this is with a priority matrix, which will allow you to identify which
tasks need the most focus and attention.
Often being productive and best utilising time is easily misunderstood by people, as
they see "busywork" as being more productive.
However, in most cases, those who understand how to focus in on the critical tasks and
dedicate focused time to them will often see the greatest results!
So if you want to be effective using your time and actually be more productive when
working, then learn to narrow down your focus and attention to a single task at a time.
It may not be immediately apparent to others, but in doing so your setting yourself up to
not only get more done, but putting in place the building blocks to achieving greater success!