I confess. I’m a multi-tasker. People rarely, at any one time, have my complete, undivided attention as I’m often checking email, having a conversation, writing a message, answering a text, writing down an idea… all possibly at the same time.
Sometimes I think this is part of the way God has wired me while at other times I realize I’ve been seduced by words such as “quick and efficient.” Sometimes I think I’m addicted to how productive it makes me feel.
In fact, I often find myself apoloizing to co-workers and family members for not giving them my full attention in what I know are very important moments to them. I’m afraid my lack of focus communicates to them that their time is not as valuable as mine and their ideas aren’t either.
Turns out that not only is it often insensitive, but even if it doesn’t bother the people around you it’s not really the best strategy for effectiveness. I read an interesting article last night on MSNBC entitled “The Cult of Multitasking.” The article said the average employee loses 2.1 hours of productivity every day to interruptions and distractions. Each day a typical office employee checks e-mail 50 times and uses instant messaging 77 times.
It went on to say…
The cult of multitasking would have us believe that compulsive message-checking is the behavior of an always-on, hyper-productive worker. But it’s not. It’s the sign of a distracted employee who misguidedly believes he can do multiple tasks at one time. Science disagrees. People may be able to chew gum and walk at the same time, but they can’t do two or more thinking tasks simultaneously.
Researchers at the University of Michigan found that productivity dropped as much as 40 percent when subjects tried to do two or more things at once. The switching exacts other costs, too — mistakes and burnout. One of the study’s authors, David Meyer, asserts bluntly that quality work and multitasking are incompatible.
So it’s confession time. Are you in the cult?
I have been a member. I have a terrible time concentrating on more than one thing at a time. I wish I could do more. I actually envy those of you who can do more than one thing at a time.
I’m not wired for multitasking. I usually get so absorbed in whatever I’m doing that I’m oblivious to everything else going on around me. In some cases that may be a good thing, but I have to be very careful to focus my attention on the right things. That’s my biggest challenge.
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side then? hmph
Sometimes, like my computer’s hard drive, I experience a “freeze” moment where there are just too many things going on at once, and I need to pause and “reboot.”
Ha! I’m actually having one of those moments today Paul.
I confess: I am not a multi-tasker. I have to give my undivided attention to people or I get in trouble (especially my wife).
I have ADHD. Even with medication, I can’t multitask. Whenever I try, somebody gets hurt…
Yes! I have to block time to focus. It’s too easy to get distracted.
Yes I am
I knew that.
Oh join the cult – I’m in! I actually wrote about my take on it here – http://bit.ly/qvfm4N
We try to do too many things at once!
I am severely hearing impaired and I lip-read. By the very nature of being this way, I can not multi-task. I must focus on the face of the person speaking to me. I am designed to need to give full attention to a person that is speaking to me. There are times that I wish everyone was in the same boat.
WOW! That adds a little perspective. Of course as I was reading this I had a webinar happening on the other side of my screen, I was on the phone and looking at my notes….. not even kidding!
I must admit you didn’t even have my full attention while I was reading this.
I am so a member of this cult. I am often chatting while writing an email or having a conversation with a person while texting or working…. In the past few months I have realized how bad it is and how it can be perceived by the person on the other end. I have often said I am just made this way but in reality we are built for relationships and I need to focus and be more intentional in that area… especially face to face.
Although it is always nice to know I am not alone in my multitasking ways
Funny Pete that most comments were from men who tend not to be good at multi-tasking. Just purely from experience working with teams of predominantly men, most are serial taskers, so you’re the exception.
I love multi-tasking…kind of an adrenaline rush to get so much done at once, AND if I can do it in a noisy environment, bonus points;)
Well…I’m the Worship Pastor/Graphic Designer/Web Designer/Videographer/Tech Support/Janitor/Father/etc….what do you think? LOL…nice post…Thanks!
I am a only a part time member (and I live in denial too). =)
I participate when alone and often at work, but when I am with people I try to be fully present with them. I fail more often than I wait to admit though when my mind isn’t present even if my body and hands aren’t multitasking.
I’m totally in. I’m very difficult of texting people while I’m talking to someone else.
Dr. Meyer is spot on. The most devastating side-effect of multitasking, imho, is not loss of efficiency or ramped-up chances of error, though those are problematic, so much as it is the potential insult to a fellow being if we are distracted from our attention to her/his needs during interface. Give people your attention. The tasks will get done.
Somewhere along the line, I must have drank the Kool-Aid.
I have always been a multitasker as well. I thank God for the learned ability to “Be Present”… fully… with the people that I choose to invest in. It has made it a little easier to focus on projects and other tasks at hand but hasn’t entirely carried over, unfortunately. (As I type this I “was” working on a millennial fact sheet for work, editing a guest post for my blog, The NINES is on in the background and I’m preparing for a presentation on ministry with young women tonight… oops)
@tashanks
We just did a series at church over the summer (Rage Against the Machine) that mentioned the negative effects of multi-tasking. They showed this video in one message: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zaa5w8cIxXI.
I’ve been trying to think about this more at work & trying to concentrate on one task at a time. So hard!
this is funny.
I’d like to think that I’m multi-tasking but in reality I’m just bouncing from one thing to another really fast and it looks like I’m multi-tasking.
I didn’t think it was possible for men to multi-task anyway?!?
As I read this I stopped, put on my shoes, dug thru my purse, and then checked a txt message. At first I was like nah I’m not in the ” cult” but looks like I am. My world has become numerous amounts of do this check this look at that…It should be more of read this in the bible pray about that and look to God.
Oh, I’m in it. Very rarely do I feel comfortable working on only one thing at a time but I know I’m more productive when I do it.
OMGosh….this makes total sense. I multi-task all the time. I do feel pretty good that I can do it, but at the end of the day it wears me out and sometimes I forget what I did. Thanks for sharing
I am a member. Pretty sure I have undiagnosed ADHD, however I am working on reform…trying to learn to focus & experience the moment fully.
I belong to the cult of multitasking too, and I am proud of it! If you cant do it, dont hate. I accomplish 2 x than my father did in one day in the 80′s and 3 x more than my grandfather did in one day in the 60′s. The problem is that I dont get paid 2 or 3 people! Thats why unemployment is almost 10%
I’m absolutely in the cult. As a single mother, the secretary/treasurer/janitor at my church, and a college student taking 8 college classes, I can’t help but multi-task. But sometimes it doesn’t work out as well as I want it to. I’m trying to make lists and work on one thing at a time, even if there are 30 things I need to get done.
I used to multi task. Now I’m pregnant and have a 17 month old toddler. I have such mama brain I’m lucky if I can do one thing at a time. I bet the U of M study didn’t account for that…
This is a great reminder! I used to brag about being a multi-tasker, until I realized that I wasn’t completing any one task to my best ability. The response (or lack thereof) I was getting from my family at that time even forced me to go on a ‘technology sabbatical’. Now I try to carve out my day in advance- and make time for each
task at hand. It has made a big difference in my life!
Yes I am in the cult. I may even be a leader.