Name: The Myth of Multitasking
Rating: 4.3 (71 reviews)
Author: Dave Crenshaw

What’s in it for me? Ditch the multitasking myth.

How many different apps do you have open on your phone right now? How many tabs on your internet browser? And how many different e-mail threads and Facebook messages?

If you’re like most people, you probably have a lot of each of these – too many, in fact. The myth of multitasking has seeped into every aspect of our lives, not only in terms of how we communicate but also the way we work and live the rest of our day-to-day lives.

And multitasking might be a bigger problem than you think; not only is splitting our time into fragments not helpful or efficient, it is actually counterproductive.

In these blinks, you’ll learn

why “multitasking” isn’t even an accurate name for what it describes;
why you should set designated office hours; and
how you can find more time for the things you love.

There’s no such thing as multitasking, only active and passive switchtasking.

These days, with more ways than ever to be connected and communicate with one another, it can feel like there’s an endless supply of tasks that demand to be juggled all at once.

Appropriately enough, the traditional way of dealing with multiple tasks at once was to multitask.

But here’s the thing: multitasking is a lie. A more accurate name for this method of working is switchtasking, and it is an inefficient and inadequate way of getting things done.

The human brain is an impressive thing to behold, but it doesn’t perform well when you attempt to focus on more than one thing at a time.

There are plenty of studies to back this up, including a recent one from Vanderbilt University. Researchers couldn’t find a single piece of neurological evidence to suggest that the human brain is capable of taking on more than one task at a time.

What the brain can do is switch back and forth, from one task to another. It can do this quickly enough to give you the impression that it is multitasking, but what it is really doing is switchtasking.

Now, there are two different kinds of switchtasking: you can either make active switches or passive switches.

Active switches happen in situations you create yourself, such as deciding to check your e-mail while talking to someone on the phone. These would be switches that you are actively making.

Passive switches happen in situations that are initiated by something or someone else. An example of this would be when you’re facing a deadline and, in the middle of preparing documents, a coworker decides to stop by and start talking to you. Here, you’re being asked to switch your attention between the documents and your coworker.

In the blinks ahead, we’ll take a closer look at why these switches are so harmful to your work and what you can do to reduce them in the workplace.

Avoid interruptions by making yourself available to employees and coworkers at regularly scheduled times.

Let’s say you’re the busy CEO of a successful company. What steps could you take to reduce interruptions and minimize switches?

One of the most common reasons for someone to come knocking on your door is that they don’t know when they’ll be able to get your attention otherwise.

By budgeting your time, you can take control of your schedule and prioritize what’s important.

Think back to last week and ask yourself, “How many hours did I spend watching TV, sleeping or commuting to and from work – and how many did I actually spend working?”

Even if you’re passionate about your work, you might not be aware of how you really spend your time.

Rather than forcing change, set an example and let your employees follow.

Let’s put on the CEO hat one more time and find out what can be done to get your employees to stop switchtasking and start focusing on one task at a time.

Your first instinct might be to hold a meeting and simply tell everyone to stop switchtasking – but there’s a more effective way to change people’s habits.

Key ideas in The Myth of Multitasking

What is The Myth of Multitasking about?

The Myth of Multitasking (2009) reveals an important truth: that the concept of multitasking is a lie that we’ve been buying into for far too long. The truth is that the human mind is not built to divide its focus, and if you want quality work done in an efficient, timely manner, you need to take things on one at a time.

About the Author

Dave Crenshaw is a highly sought-after business coach who has helped improve companies around the world. His writing has appeared in publications such as Time magazine and the Washington Post. His fourth book, The Power of Having Fun, is due to be published in the fall of 2017.