BE WARE - Multitasking is a MYTH!
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Three years ago, my sister had a new born baby. It was her first baby and all the family was happy for her. I went to visit her one sunny day, when her baby boy was about 3 months old. She opened the door and gave me a warm greeting and asked me to come in. I saw she was very busy doing many things. She had her baby on her hand and was cooking dinner while watching the news on TV and putting the laundry in the washing machine with her cell phone in her other hand talking to a friend. She managed to greet me warmly in the midst of all that. I was surprised for few moments to see how she's managing to do all those tings at the same time...After all, I've always heard that women are very good with multitasking and I was looking at a solid proof of that right there and then.
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But then, when I looked closer at my sister standing there like a heroine doing all those things, I saw that she was not really paying attention to the news on TV even though she was looking at it. There was a piece of news about social work that I was sure would have grabbed her attention but it passed her by just like that. I guess she was really focusing on the conversation with her friend which from the little I could make out of it, was about her friend complaining about her husband and my sister was giving some tips for her to improve her marriage. Very important topic.
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When I had a closer look at the washing machine, I didn't see much going on there, she just put the dirty laundry inside it and hit the "On" button and that was it. Her baby boy on her shoulder? She was just holding him and not even looking at him. But holding him kept him from crying so it looked like she was spending time with him while she wasn't. What about the cooking? That needs concentration and focus, right? Actually, not if it's the hundredth time you're making a certain meal and you know exactly how to make it with your eyes closed. It's more like driving a car from home to work for the 100th time. You can drive without paying any attention to the driving process, and you only focus on the road, signals and other cars around.
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So, what's my point here? My point is that there is no such a thing as multitasking...I say it's a myth. You can only do one thing at a time with full concentration and full attention. Anything else you might be doing in the background is called "background" tasking, where you don't need to focus and you use your subconscious mind to achieve it. Driving a car, cooking a meal that you are an expert on, skimming the newspaper, listening to radio (without focus) and so on...Those are all tasks that you don't need to focus on unless you want to put your full attention on any of them.
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Ladies, nothing against you, but you're not multitaskers....nobody is. You need more proof? Ok, here's a question I would like to ask you all. If you answer Yes, to this question, then I will change my position on multi tasking. I will admit there is multi-tasking and women are good at it :) If you answer No, then welcome to the "multitasking myth busters club".
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My Question is:
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Can you write a very important email to one of your clients solving a major problem that this client had with your company while at the same time talking on your phone with another client trying to persuade him to buy more of your newly developed products?
Remember, the key phrase here is "at the same time". Answering this question honestly will put the debate of "Multitasking" to an end. I still like visiting my sister and seeing her taking care of her baby while doing all those other things...she always manages to give me my favorite pudding.
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I think you contradicted yourself a bit in this article. You said there was no such thing as multitasking but then you discussed "background tasks" that you can do without needing your full attention while doing something else. Isn't that still multitasking?
Like cooking dinner while having a conversation with your spouse or friend? Or, in the case of something I JUST did: tying my son's shoe for him while telling him he needs to pick up some toys before heading outside to play.
I do agree though that you shouldn't try to do two things that both need your full attention at once. Like the question you asked, writing an important email while on a sales call isn't the best idea. BUT, you could eat lunch while composing that email.
I think that multitasking is possible, but one of the tasks you are doing at the same time needs to be one that is basically automatic (tying shoes, laundry, cooking, etc).
I agree with you :) & also agree with @nuridin that you cannot do 2 things in the best way possible at the same time. To do one thing as good as you can, you need to give all of your attention to it.
That's background tasking (tying shoes, laundry, cooking,etc).... those background tasks are done subconsciously without needing your attention. My argument still stands. I make a distinction between "multi-tasking" and "background" tasking. I define multitasking by trying to do more than one important thing that require your attention at the same time I define background tasking as doing things which don't require you attention. There is no exceptional talent in doing background tasking, since they just require habitual skills that you already have. Most people who brag about being "Multi-taskers" actually don't even refer to those "background" tasks, but rather try to brag about doing multiple important tasks that need their attention. And I say, it's a myth. They can never multi-task while giving full attention and delivering high quality.
Very interesting, you may have a point there, i may be able to do several things at the same time, but maybe not with good concentration.
So maybe its all a myth.
Yes, we try to achieve more in less time thinking we can give all tasks our full attention simultaneously, but we can't, we need to choose what we focus on and what kind of quality we want to achieve.
This is a very interesting concept. Background tasking. The problem as I see it is that background tasking can not be done properly (Unless it is a really automatic-kinda task) and it makes our main task to be low quality.
Yeah, it's true. If it's your first time to drive a car, driving won't be considered as a "background" task for you. But if it's your 1 millionth time to drive a car, it is considered a "background" task, and you could be focusing on something else while driving like a conversation with the person next to you.
It's a difficult myth to let go of though, despite the research. Spongebob made me smile! 😊
Yeah, it is... Glad you liked spongebob, but he is not smiling doing all what he's trying to do 😊
Funny! I was watching a video on YouTube explaining to me that multi tasking is least productive thing to do. It actually decreases productivity and adds to problems.
Such as the task being incomplete or not up to par or a certain standard as they should be. Multi tasking is the enemy of efficiency in my belief and if your doing some task I believe you should only focus on doing that before moving to something else.
Exactly.... Great to know you have the same view on this.
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great
I am glad you brought this topic up. I don't feel that I can do more than one "major" task at the same time. I care for the quality of almost everything I do, and I struggle when I have so many tasks.
I think it is all about personalities. The ones who "Multitask" tend to compromise on the quality of at least one task, or maybe they are " take things lightly" kind of people.
The "Multitaskers" might have easier lives, because I guess they're not worried about perfection in each and everything.
Good or bad, I can't be a "Multitasker", and sometimes it bothers me.😐
To summarize, I think each person has a certain level of "Multitasking" or whatever you wish to call it. ( I have the lowest level possible I guess :P)
Keep up the good work
If you have the lowest level of multitasking, then you have high standards and high level of quality....that's a good thing :) Keep up your quality standards when it comes to tasks, and keep up giving people your attention when it comes to relationships...they both have great benefits and results in both your personal and professional lives.
I agree! Thanks 👍🏻
@nuridin, I agree with you 100%. A person cannot give full, meaningful attention to more than one thing at a time. Any mindless task that can be completed at the same time as another task is still pulling a bit of attention from the main task, and if that other task is a critical one, or involves interaction with another human, then it must be admitted that the important task is not getting full, undivided attention, and something is bound to suffer for it.
If there is anything I wish I would have done differently in the raising of my children, it is this very thing. I wish I would have given them 100% of my attention when they asked for it. Kids make their needs for attention known in all sorts of ways.
Neglecting the most important people in my life just so I could get some work done at the same time was a mistake. I wish someone had given me this advice when I was younger. Now I know better.
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