Multitasking – The Challenge

I feel almost hypocritical writing a post about multitasking because I got as far as writing out the title and was distracted by numerous other items that popped up. Typical right? As much as we try to keep a paced work flow, there are always things that pop up that can interfere.

There is a difference though between last minute items that can interfere with a task at hand and self-inflicted hyper-tasking and multitasking. The latter is what I call the martyr time management syndrome. For some reason people tend to try and validate their job by inflicting themselves with so many tasks at one time just so they can voice at the water cooler how busy they are.  You are picturing it right now..I know you are! (insert mental visual of someone declaring to the world that they don’t have time.)  I don’t buy it and believe me your co-workers don’t either.

Take Control

We all have a measure of control over we manage our assignments. I am pretty old fashioned. I still use a little notebook that outlines my task items for the day. I also use the Google Task List.  There is plenty of technology out there to keep us organized. I am a huge fan of Google calendars. Even if you use multiple calendars there is a new Google Calendar app that I use that is awesome for having a nice clean view of your days tasks. The critical teaching point is to make sure we have things scheduled and do our best not to let items interfere with your task list.

It is also critical to help teach your teammates to respect your schedule. If you allow them to continuously interfere your workflow you are not doing yourself any favors and you are not setting a good time management example. Set the parameters of acceptable behavior and everyone’s workflow will improve.

Summary

Like the title indicates.  Time management and multitasking are like water and oil.  They just don’t mix.  Take control of your time.  Organize your appointments to give yourself that 10-15 minute breather you need in between calls.  Honor other peoples time and make sure that expectation is reciprocated.  Instead of saying “I don’t have time” try saying to yourself “I need to organize my time”.

What tips can you share? Please feel free to comment below!  Thank you in advance for sharing this post with your network.

Written by Jonathan Saar