Debunking The Myths of Multitasking [Exclusive Lifehacker Interview]

Posted by Karim Baz

August 25, 2008

In a fast-paced business culture of “get everything done yesterday,” it’s easy to admire and reward those busybusy people who always seem to be juggling 14 things at once. But business coach Dave Crenshaw argues that the most common kind of multitasking doesn’t boost productivity—it slows you down. In his new book, The Myth of Multitasking: How “Doing It All” Gets Nothing Done, Crenshaw explains the difference between “background tasking”—like watching TV while exercising—and “switchtasking,” juggling two tasks by refocusing your attention back and forth between them, and losing time and progress in the switch. Crenshaw’s on a mission to reduce distractions, interruptions, and fire-fighting at work, and create environments that let employees see through tasks with their full attention before moving onto the next thing. Here’s what Crenshaw had to say…

….Finally, Crenshaw offers a few tips for reducing switchtasking and making better use of your time.

Take control over technology—Your cell phone ringer (even on vibrate)
doesn’t need to be on all the time. You can turn off email notification on your computer as well.
Become master over the nagging beeps and buzzes by creating some silence.

Schedule what you can schedule—Set regular times in the day and week to check your voicemail and email. Let others
know that you will be using that schedule so they know when to expect a reply.

Focus on the person—When you switchtask when dealing with a computer, you simply lose efficiency. But if you
switchtask on a human being, you additionally damage a relationship. Be present, listen carefully, and make sure
everything has been taken care of before moving on.

Is your office a hotbed of switchtasking or do you have the time and space to focus on what you need to get done without an interruption in the next 10 minutes? Are you constantly scanning your inbox or handheld for new messages when you should be writing that report or crunching those numbers? Tell us what you think about multitasking in today’s office in the comments.