7/27/2019 How Multi Task Effectively

1/2

10/10/13 HOW MULTI TASK EFFECTIVELY

gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tips-21/21-management/35-how-multi-task-effectively 1/2

HOW MULTI TASK EFFECTIVELY

In the workplace, multitasking has become a

mandatory skill. According to a recent study,

workplace interruptions, such as phone calls or thearrival of e-mail, consume more than two hours of the

average professional's workday. So how can you

multitask effectively?

In the workplace, multitasking has become a mandatory

skill. According to a study by information technology research firm Basex, daily workplace

interruptions, such as phone calls or the arrival of e-mail, consume more than two hours of the

average professional's workday. As a result, it is necessary to sometimes work on multiple projects

simultaneously. While doing so can help you save time and increase your productivity, excessive

multitasking can cause the opposite to occur.

Consider a recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, which

shows that being distracted while learning new tasks or information adversely affects a person's

ability to retain that information.

A study on emergency room physicians indicates that they get interrupted about 50 times in a 3 hour

session while tending to 12 patients (these are all averages). Of those, about 20 caused the

physicians to switch to a different task. While undoubtedly some patients have died, physicians are

still reasonably effective at saving lives, but maybe that's because becoming an emergency room

doctor has a lready weeded out thos e who aren't able to m ultitask effectively.

Other studies done in neuroscience ind icate that each time a pe rson sw itches back and forth between

tasks, the brain goes through several time-consuming activities, including: a) a selection process for

choosing a new activity; b) turning off the mental rules needed to do the first task; c) turning on the

mental rules needed to do the second task; and d) orienting itself to the conditions currently

surrounding the new task. In the same field, another research indicates that jumping back and forth

between tasks can take four times longer to accomplish them - simply due to the time required for

switching gears.

So it appears that multitasking is a great computational burden with various mental course

corrections taking place, but it is unavoidable with both work and personal li fe requiring us to addres s

so m any different tasks s imultaneously. Then how can you mul titask effectively?

Approaching mul titask behaviour from a computational pers pective with state taking the place of

thinking and decision-making can be useful. This approach describes setting up notifications that pop

up when certain programming tasks have been completed, essentially pushing the information

processing burden (the need to be alert and check on the status of certain tasks) onto the computer.

With this is m ind, here are s ome p ractical tips to multitask effectively:

1. Arrange daily tasks by priority. Take time at the beginning of the day to decide which tasks have

priority and schedule their completion first. Make a checklist of tasks that you check off as you

complete them. If you have a comm on set of tasks to do each day, just type it up and print it out every

morning.

Search...

Home About Us Contact Us

ARTICLES

ARTICLES

Leadership, competitiveness and best

practices on business management

MANAGEMENT TIPS

MANAGEMENT TIPS

Practical tools to enhance management

and leadership skills

EDUCATIONRESOURCES

EDUCATION RESOURCES

News, corporate training and business

education resources

BYTHE NUMBERS

STRATEGY EXECUTION

72 %

Of respondents believe that

"spelling out strategy in clear

language" is the most

important aspect of strategy

execution compared with 23 %

who beli eve that "steering

managers toward alignment" is

the most important aspect

48 %

Of respondents s ay that their

organization are good

developing strategies

59 %

Agree with the s tatement

"There is an imaginary line in

my company's organizational

chart. Strategy is created by

people above the line, while

strategy is executed by people

below the line"

SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER

NEWSLETTER SUBSCRIBER

Anti-Spam Tes t: 2+3=

Name:

Email:

User Name

Password

Remember Me

LOG IN

LOGIN

Forgot your passw ord?Forgot your username?

Create an account

Details Created On Tuesday, 19 April 2011 00:59 Last Updated on Thursday,

15 November 2012 14:33 Written By (Adapted From Several Sources) Hits:

5374

MENU

Home

Featured News and

Events

Featured Articles

Articles

Managem ent Tips

Education Resources

The Editor's Lis t

LATEST NEWS

THREE COMMON

MISTAKES TO AVOID

WHEN LEADING

CHANGES

FIVE ESSENTIAL SKILLS

FOR LEADERSHIP

EXCELLENCE

LEADING

COLLABORATIVE

DECISION MAKING

PROCESSES

HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR

COMPANY'S

POSITIONING

SURVEY ASKS: WHO IS

THE CANADIAN

POSTDOCTORAL

FELLOW?

FOLLOW US

WHO'S ONLINE

http://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tips-21/21-management/98-leading-changeshttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/featured-news-and-eventshttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tips-21/21-management/35-how-multi-task-effectively?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=http://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/component/mailto/?tmpl=component&template=shaper_simplicity_ii&link=ad85ec7ab5cc9fcaf358301dbd0e1d1780b61b90http://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tipshttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/education-resourceshttp://gvillage.org/gvhttp://gvillage.org/gvhttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tips-21/21-management/95-positioninghttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tips-21/21-management/95-positioninghttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/articleshttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/home-24http://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/about-us-25http://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/contact-ushttp://gvillage.org/gvhttp://gvillage.org/gvhttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tips-21/23-leadership/97-five-essential-skills-for-leadership-excellencehttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tips-21/21-management/98-leading-changeshttp://www.facebook.com/pages/Global-Village-Academy/198117926883099http://twitter.com/GVillagecahttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/education-resources/25-colleges-and-universities/94-post-doctoral-fellowshttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tips-21/21-management/95-positioninghttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tips-21/21-management/96-collaborative-decision-makinghttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tips-21/23-leadership/97-five-essential-skills-for-leadership-excellencehttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tips-21/21-management/98-leading-changeshttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/the-editors-list-sidehttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/education-resourceshttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tipshttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/articleshttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/featured-articleshttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/featured-news-and-eventshttp://gvillage.org/gv/http://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/component/mailto/?tmpl=component&template=shaper_simplicity_ii&link=ad85ec7ab5cc9fcaf358301dbd0e1d1780b61b90http://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tips-21/21-management/35-how-multi-task-effectively?tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=http://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/component/users/?view=registrationhttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/component/users/?view=remindhttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/component/users/?view=resethttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/education-resourceshttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tipshttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/articleshttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/contact-ushttp://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/about-us-25http://gvillage.org/gv/index.php/home-24http://gvillage.org/gv

7/27/2019 How Multi Task Effectively

2/2

10/10/13 HOW MULTI TASK EFFECTIVELY

gvillage.org/gv/index.php/management-tips-21/21-management/35-how-multi-task-effectively 2/2

2. Organize pending tasks by groups as they are related . To reduce the mental processing burden,

group related tasks together. Try to find some sort of narrative to fit the tasks in so they seem to fit

together. That'll reduce the effort needed to swi tch gears.

3. Organize your computers desktop. Change the layout of your computer. You could designate the

upper left corner of your des ktop to be the area where priority tasks go, the upper right as s lightly less

urgent tasks, and so on. Or you could group tasks into categories and mentally envision a grid that

separates them on your desktop.

4. Make reminder notes. Make a quick note whenever you stop one task to work on another so you

can glance at it to refresh yourself when switch back. You might want to learn a s horthand to be even

more e fficient.

Effective multi-tasking also relies on effective time management and that means, whether you like or

not, working from a calendar. Without having to keep everything in your head, complicating your

already busy life - you can write it down and let it go to some extent. You don't have to stress about

forgetting it because it will be in your calendar. Honouring thy calendar can actually provide a lot of

relief and control i n your life. Try it. You will be glad you did.

Calendaring may take some getting used to, but it really does make your life simpler by maximizing

time and performance. You will feel in control of your life and enjoy it even more. With improved

efficiency and great time management you will get more done in a shorter amount of time - all with

less stress.

Copyright 2012 Global Village Ac ademy. A ll Rights Reserved. Designed by JoomShaper

Pow ered by Joomla! Valid XHTML and CSS

We have one gues t and one

member online

http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/check/referer?profile=css3http://validator.w3.org/check/refererhttp://www.joomla.org/http://www.joomshaper.com/http://helix.joomshaper.com/