Is Multitasking Compromising Your Work?
The workday begins and you’re off and running. You flit back and forth from one task to another and feel like a multitasking superstar. You’ve met one of the key requirements of your job description – must be able to manage multiple projects simultaneously – but your coffee’s cold, your thoughts are jumbled and you’ve likely done little to bring value to your customers or move your company forward. If “Wait, where was I?” sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
For years, multitasking has been a sought-after skill that allegedly enables employees to complete more tasks at a faster pace. However, when viewed as “task switching,” you can better understand how your time, energy and focus is spent, and lost, on moving back and forth from task to task. Different tasks often require different parts of the brain, making it more difficult to transition effectively from one task to another, and nearly impossible to think deeply.
In an article published by the American Psychological Association, researchers found that switching between tasks can cause a 40% loss in productivity. So, in the age of ever-increasing distractions and a continued demand for productivity and mastery, what’s the solution?
Cal Newport, author of the book, Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, explains deep workas “professional activities performed in a state of distraction-free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limit. These efforts create new value, improve your skill, and are hard to replicate.”
Newport also talks about shallow work: “non-cognitively demanding, logistical tasks that don’t create much new value in the world and are easy to replicate.” There’s a time and place for both, but learning to work deeply may be the key to distinguishing yourself and your company in the marketplace.
At Ameritech, Newport’s rules help us work smarter and, more importantly, do more valuable work for our customers.
1.) Work Deeply
Working deeply requires a routine commitment to work without distraction. Block out a few hours every Friday in a small conference room or an hour at your desk each morning when no one else is around. The key is to create a cocoon for you and your thoughts. Nothing else.
2.) Embrace Boredom
What you do in your downtime helps train your brain to resist distractions. Don’t spend every free moment checking messages or pouring through social media. Newport suggests trying physical activities that allow time to focus on a single item. This could be as simple as taking a walk and meditating on a work project.
3.) Minimize the shallows
“Treat shallow work with suspicion, because its damage is often vastly underestimated and its importance vastly overestimated.” We plan our days and weeks to allow time for shallow work, unforeseen changes and deep work.
By adjusting your approach to work and understanding the value and importance of concentration, you can still check off your to-do list, but you’ll also produce high-quality work and have time to enjoy that piping hot cup of Joe.
Have you or your company implemented “deep work?”