“Distraction from Multitasking”

Multitasking has been widely recognized as an important skill in today’s fast paced and competitive business environment. By completing multiple tasks simultaneously, the idea is that one can do more with less time and in the process withstand the multiple interruptions and pressures of the modern workplace.

However, new research indicates that multitasking not only results in the loss of time, but it reduces our overall effectiveness and the accuracy of our work. It turns out that the busyness associated with switching back and forth between tasks reduces the valuable self-talk and mental processing time we actually need to make good decisions. Rather than saving us time and money, multitasking can represent as much as a 40% reduction in our overall productivity. That’s not very efficient.

While channel surfing, reading a magazine and eating a snack on the couch at home is harmless, reducing your productivity at work by 40% could leave you out of a job. The next time you’re tempted to email, voicemail and rehearse a presentation all at once, think about the benefit of focusing on each task separately until they’re complete. It’s about going slow to go fast.