Multitasking, a Hidden Threat.
Often in job interviews, multitasking is looked at as an advantage in candidates. This is legit because, in fast-moving companies, it is a race with time, companies need to close more projects in order to deliver and grow. Thus, management wants people who can multitask in order to get the work done.
Now let's approach Multitasking from a psychological and management perspective, does multitasking really exist first so that it can be considered as a threat? What exactly is multitasking, and what is it's on affect individuals and the organizations they belong to?
Understanding Multitasking:
Wikipedia defines multitasking, as “Human multitasking is an apparent human ability to perform more than one task, or activity, at the same time. An example of multitasking is taking phone calls while typing an email and reading a book. Multitasking can result in time wasted due to human context switching and apparently causing more errors due to insufficient attention. If one becomes proficient at two tasks it is possible to rapidly shift attention between the tasks and perform the tasks well/proficiently."
But here is the catch; multitasking is possible if two conditions are met:
1) 1 of the tasks is automatic, which means you don't require focus such as walking, eating, etc..
2) The 2 tasks involve different types of brain processing. Example: You can read a magazine while listening to music; however, the ability to interpret music lyrics will drop because both tasks activate the language centre of the brain.
Based on research described in a Wired Article involving normal activities, it has reported that children perform worse on their homework if it is done while watching TV and employees show greater productivity when they don't check their e-mail frequently*
I do see this as an obvious result because if you are focused on a task and something distract you such a phone call, smartphone notification, YouTube video about unicorns and trending challenges then it will take more time to finish the task that you are doing.
Not mentioning the frustration that you end up having because time is passing and probably you did not finish a single task.
We should also be aware of the fact that a distracted mind may become permanent due to the fact that habits develop in about 2-3 weeks for the average person. Meaning that a continuously distracted mind can become the normal state of mind if it continues to multitask constantly.
A study by the American Psychological Association states “ Multitasking may actually be less efficient – especially for complicated or unfamiliar tasks – Because it takes time to shift mental gears every time a person switches between the two tasks”*. Therefore, multitasking here is not serving the purpose of being efficient; we are spending more time and energy to move from a single task to another.
Being mentally drained and exhausted in my opinion is the result of misusing the energy that you have. If you are always jumping between tasks then your mind gets exhausted faster. That's very normal because we wake up with a finite amount of energy that can be provided as output over the course of a day. Every task that we do takes a certain amount of energy and the time it takes to switch between tasks takes up even takes more energy, and that's why multitasking consumes more mental energy.
Multitasking in projects:
In fast pace industries, we often hear the term “ Time Management”, companies always tend to give their employees training on that topic. Time management is a skill that is acquired throughout the experience, and nowadays with technology, there are a lot of tools that help build up that skill. Companies believe that if employees can manage their time properly then their outcome is more, leading to more income and growth.
I personally never heard about training on “ Multitasking”, therefore I still find it weird when individuals tend to position themselves as “multitaskers “ and yet this aspect is viewed as a big advantage.
I believe multitasking itself is a threat, a threat of concept because, in my opinion, it is a myth. This term was created in corporates and complex technological industries to make stressed and overtime-working individuals feel more productive and efficient.
A lot of projects fail because resources are given tasks way more of their capacity, therefore it is very important for functional and project managers to understand the capacity of their resources. They should not count on the “multitasking” ability of individuals because this is a threat to the outcome quality. In managing projects, the project managers’ duty is not just to assign tasks for individuals then follow up and follow through. They should go deeper in understanding their capacity before delegating and assigning tasks. In many cases, managers push their subordinates toward multitasking and fast working without even noticing. They have no idea about the damage they are causing.
One of the most important skills that are touched during “Multitasking” or switching between tasks is the decrease in creativity. This is a very normal result of an exhausted and chattering mind. It causes individuals to cut corners, eliminate quality assurance and control steps, and make more mistakes than they would if they were working on one task at a time. Creativity is achieved when the mind is relaxed and organized and is able to process information deeply to come up with a unique solution.
In conclusion, individuals should reduce their multitasking habits in order to not compromise on quality and mental health. Multitasking only exists if you are doing an automatic process that does not require attention with another task that requires attention; therefore focus on one thing at a time to get the best out of it. Use task management tools that help you to manage your time effectively. Technology exists to make our life easier, utilize it and save your mental energy.
Studies:
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