Employees and managers alike need to understand the high cost of multitasking. Shifting between tasks can cost as much as 40 percent of productivity time.
Multitaskers Are Not Created Equally
The experience of multitasking is not the same for all people, and understanding your relationship with multitasking can be helpful in your quest to overcome it.
According to the American Psychological Association, there are four common types of multitaskers:
- You're approach-oriented or reward-focused. Your brain says "If I do more work at once, I can complete more work at once." It makes sense, but doesn't work.
- You're a high-sensation seeker. These are people who use multitasking to fight boredom (or because of boredom). By shifting focus periodically, you keep your mind engaged with a new task.
- You're convinced you're part of the 2 percent of people who can multitask effectively. It's normal for us to think we're better at multitasking than we are. Be cognizant of your actual productivity, and see if you're really as good as you think.
- You have trouble focusing. You may not be multitasking intentionally. Use technology as a tool for focus, rather than distraction. Mute your notifications, minimize your tabs, and avoid your inbox while focusing on work.
Most people are not proficient multitaskers (otherwise known as supertaskers). You are either one of the 2 percent or you're not — there's no gray area in between.