HRGuru

i feel that biggest challenge to people in a career is to perform and meet  pressing requirements of office and at the same time be able to attend the unavoidable commitments at home including social commitments. i see that the ability of a person to control and monitor/ perform many activities at the same time help a lot in meeting the requirements at both ends. so , any suggestions to hone the skill of multi tasking will help large number of people in improving their lives and career. please post your views.

Multitasking can be terrific when done effectively, but most people do not do it effectively. Many people think that multitasking means juggling, which begs the question: Do you really know how to juggle? Multitasking without knowing how to juggle will inevitably lead to dropping some balls.

Vannati says ...

Multitasking can be terrific when done effectively, but most people do not do it effectively. Many people think that multitasking means juggling, which begs the question: Do you really know how to juggle? Multitasking without knowing how to juggle will inevitably lead to dropping some balls.

The fundamental problem with multitasking is that it actually increases stress because you try to hold more information in your memory than is possible.  This can give you the feeling of being  disorganized and can cause mistakes. The correct way to multitask is more like bowling than juggling: one ball and then the next. You would not try to bowl with three balls at once would you? The best multitaskers are able to focus 100% of their energy on any one task and then move on to the next one. This leads to a sense of accomplishment rather than frustration.

I agree with this statement 100%. Not everyone can multi-task and effectively come to the desired ends. Multi-tasking is an art that has to be practiced in order to achieve it. There is no other way to achieve it unless you are just born with the gift. Of course, this is only my opinion.

I am reading a book right now called "Eat that Frog."  It is about procrastination - which is something that keeps us from getting the things done that we need to get done.  Many times we mutl-task because we don't like to focus on just one thing at a time - and get it done.  The book is about time management and setting priorities.  If anyone is interested, go to www.simpletruths.com.  No, I am not a salesman for the company - but they do produce some very simple - but very thought provoking books.

Cheers!

jmcclish says ...

I recently retired from the Air Force where my day was never predictable.  What worked best for me was to get into work a little earlier than everyone else to get my desk, blackberry, and mind in sync with the needs of the day.  Spending 30mins alone with a good cup of coffee and a motivational thought then pressing through projects/cases to review current status can make a big difference.  I also learned to say no when my plate was too full.

Hope this helps!

Here, here!! These are definitely great ideas for learning to multi-task. I never really thought about going into work early to set up for my day, but that is an excellent suggestion. I can definitely see the benefits of it.

It is great in theory to apply focus one one thing at a time but I find that so much of what I need to do has both a continuous and discontinuous personality.  Definitely applaud the application of project management techniques in multi-tasking with a tracking component .  The idea of single focus is  tough one to crack.  There is merit in planning your day ahead of time as long as it is a short list which has tangible results.  I do that before I get to work.  Unfortunately, I have a difficult time saying no when my plate is full - end up exchanging a square plate rather than a  round one so I can fit in more.  What is critical is that my new plate has measurable achievable end products.

Thanks friend - nice to know I have company on hard to say no and commitment to project management techniques.  I like your thought of refocusing - it is a nice way to refresh oneself for the creative juices to flow again.  I like to take baby steps too so I can make sure something is done and it gives me encouragement that I am striving forward on many fronts.

pmiller737 says ...

I understand having a hard time saying "no." The bane of my life. Which is why I am so committed and focused on project management techniques. I would sink otherwise. And I find that if I do not have things organized, my thoughts are going in all directions and I am going from project to project without getting a lot done. When that happens, I have to call a halt and clear the decks to refocus.

Penny

Nicely put Penny! I am the office manager for a company called DWC, LLC. Sounds simple, right? Not so much. I actually manage 3 companies and oversee another...alone! So learning to refocus and get organized is something I definitely have to deal with on a daily basis. But my problem seems to lie more on the fact of so much to do and not enough time to do it. Any suggestions anyone?

Cooking a meal is multi-tasking and prioritizing.  You know how long it will take to cook each part of the meal, so you start the most time-consuming part first.  Then, you add each of the other components of the meal at the proper time, still watching the progress of the components already cooking.  At the same time, you keep the kitchen organized by clearing away the tools  that you no longer need and cleaning up behind yourself.  When you're done, you have a clean kitchen and a hot meal.  Project complete.  This is successful multi-tasking.  It is only possible by making sure that you have the things you need to complete the task at hand and well organized.  Organization is critical to effective multi-tasking.  Every successful housewife and mother multi-tasks, and she manages to do it quite well.  The laundry is getting done at the same time that other tasks are being completed because she's watching the time and keeping things in mind.  Nurses are extremely good at multi-tasking, and the most successful ones become the charge nurses.  I used to be in nursing, and had a running clock in my head of my patients and what they needed when, and the charge nurse was very pleased with how I had the tasks organized in my head so that each one was completed smoothly.  I never missed a deadline because I worked the same way in the office when addressing projects.  Getting a new project thrown into the mix simply meant an immediate reorganization and getting right back to work.  When the plate starts to overflow, then you delegate a project to someone who can accomplish the task and report back to you.  So, the answer to your question is, organize.  Practice being organized first, and then you will find that things will start to flow.  I must say that some people really are more naturally organized than others, so if it takes you longer to do it, don't worry.  Just keep trying.  You'll need it for the business that you are starting to run.  Also, multi-tasking does not need to be stressful.  Some people thrive on it.  I still find that when I have many things to accomplish at once, I just seem to flow.  You'll be more successful at it if you relax.  It's the stress that causes the mistakes, so just relax, organize, and get to it.

i really appreciate the practical explanation given by sarah, organise and do it like managing the kitchen. sarah, so we finally have one method to multi task- organise/prioritize before yoy start. i want to rate sarah's reply more than thumbs which i have done but donot how to do it, so someone needs to teach me.  i am sure sarah is equally good in her kitchen as in profession but i am not, i create lots of waste in kitchen too.so any more ideas?

i know, i am treading on sensitive territory but is the notion ,that women are better at multi tasking, correct ? if yes, then why?

I don't know if 100% of our focus is needed to accomplish most of the things that we do in a given day in the office.  I myself work more sharply and in a more focused way if I have more than one thing going on at the same time, which has frequently been noticed and commented on.  Up to a point, of course, the more I have to juggle, the more efficiently I work.  But I would venture to say that not everyone works that way.  I have noticed that sometimes people will still make mistakes, even when concentrating as hard as they can.  Mistakes are just part of being human, I think.  I think it's just a matter of finding the zone that fits you best, and sticking with that.  Each of us works at a different pace, and we shouldn't try to compare ourselves to another, as we could get discouraged if we feel that we aren't doing as well because we can't work at the same pace.  I've seen people trying to force themselves to work at a pace that they didn't have the makeup to handle, and it just makes for wasted time and frustration.  I encourage people to find their own pace and work in that zone, because they'll be more productive if they do.  I've seen alot of bosses frustrate their teams by trying to make them work faster than it was their nature to do, or take on more than they could handle, and it just makes for alot of sloppy workmanship. 

Yes.  I think in a way, multi-tasking requires a long attention span, because you have to keep a running programme in your mind of all the things that you've got going on, and how each task is progressing.  You have to be thinking very fast.  As for span of control, multi-tasking of several projects at one time is a real juggling act, as has been stated before, but you're in complete control of the balls.  In the real world, you are not.  When something is out of your span of control, you have to be able to reorganize and think quickly on your feet in order to keep things running smoothly.  You can not be successful at multi-tasking in a large way if you can't do this.  Things will happen that you have no control over.  They are outside of your span of control, but you can still control the way things are progressing if you have the ability to analyse the situation quickly, come up with an immediate reorganization plan and keep going forward without losing momentum.  This results in no missed deadlines.  I've done it. 

and something more:-

First: The myth: Women and multitasking

No, multitasking is not necessarily a skill that comes easily to women.

Granted, it began with the homemakers (woman or man; in most cases, women) and has now travelled to the work desks, cubicles and chambers of most offices.

Both men and women avail of this skill.

But the degree to which they do so is debatable.

Anjali Gupta, vice-president, Asset Reconstruction Company India Ltd, feels that, as far as women (working or otherwise) are concerned, multitasking starts at home.

Men come into the picture much later.

But Vedika Bhandarkar, managing director and head of investment banking, J P Morgan, agrees with Sanjay Sinha, fund manager, UTI, that the skill is not gender specific.

Some do it often. Others do it when necessary and a few (especially males) choose where and when they plan to do it --- at home or at work.

Second: Does multitasking lead to workaholism, burnouts?

Popular perception as well as general surveys point to the fact that multitasking could lead to workaholism and even burnout. But this also happens to be directly proportional to the number of hours spent at office or at work. And the pace of your professional life.

Most professionals tend to offer their own antidote to this modern menace of 'racing against the clock' syndrome.

Sanjay believes in value addition to the same job. In his case, the value addition involves buying/selling stock and managing a fund.

"One learns to deliver one's immediate requirements and move on to others. I may manage more than just one fund; present a particular fund to the investors; defend my handling of such a fund to the media and do many add-ons that enhance my job profile," he explains

For Anjali, multitasking involves "effective time management," striking a balance and finding your own comfort zone.

For Vedika, the sheer passion of involvement or enjoying the fact that "you can make oneself more useful and do many things and attend to various needs at varying levels" adds to her sense of job satisfaction.

Third: Multitasking and You

Yes, that makes all the difference.

The job you hold, the amount and kind of responsibilities delegated to you, the number of hours you can spend and the quality of work you can deliver.

Your strengths and limitations, your ambitions and needs: You choose how much, how fast, how often and how many.

Says Anjali, "My job involves long hours and travelling. There was a time I was struggling to meet my deadlines.

"But you learn to improvise and innovate. I took my eight-year-old child to the hotel where I had to be present for a project. My husband was away on work.

"I dropped him at the in-house health club after telling the attendants to keep an eye on him and would come and check up on him after an hour or two."

Vedika, on the other hand, had promised her daughter she would attend the Occupation Day held at her Montessori school and watch her play Bob the Builder.

But she, too, had a very important meeting to attend the very same day. "I had to do some sharp planning. I attended the meeting, slipped out for an hour or so in-between to watch her in action and was back again to rejoin the meeting in progress."

Men might have less to worry about household matters when it comes to multitasking. "I can afford to be a little lazy about my domestic responsibilities and get away with it," says Sanjay in a jocular vein.

But what does it say about your job?

Some of us are happy doing the same thing over and over again and getting paid for it at the end of the month.

Some of us need more out of our work.

"Multitasking at your current level leads to other levels and that is a natural progression. The 'challenge' factor keeps you going. You can do other things and do them well," observes Sanjay.

There is another kind of multitasking where your family, social life and private moments jostle with each other to find their own time and space.

"Sometimes I wish I could clone myself and be present at several places at the same time!" says Vedika.

For Anjali, the horror of the very idea of doing the 'same old boring' thing keeps her on her toes and her fingers in many pies!

Bye-bye to social/ family life?

You might find yourself constantly having to choose between 'this' and 'that'.

"My child has become more independent and self-reliant today. He knows when I will be around and when I won't, and plans accordingly," says Anjali.

"My day is full of reviews, planning, recruitments, meetings," adds Vedika. "I gently but firmly let my family members know when I will be there and when I won't be able to make it. The same goes to meeting clients at work."

One has to be tactful, of course. But honesty is the key to doing more than one thing and being present in more than one place at the same time.

The friends who matter and understand would not mind.

It is you who has to make the choice.

Well, it was interesting to read.  But I would say that nothing is going to be correct for everyone.  There are those of us who multi-task very well and, indeed, thrive on it.  And there are those who just can't do it, but perform much better on one thing at a time.  Whichever way we as individuals work best is good.  There is no bad.  If I were to say that a person who only focuses on one thing at a time was doing the wrong thing and was not doing what she should be doing, that wouldn't make that person feel very good about herself.  She would feel inadequate.  However, if I commend her for being able to focus so well, and utilize her skill by giving her the projects that need such focus, she'll be a valuable asset to my company, and she won't feel inadequate because she can't do the multi-tasking that I do in running the company.  We each have assets.  By giving her the single-focus projects, I don't have to give them to my strong multi-tasker, who would be bored to tears with such an assignment.  If you want to learn to do multi-tasking, practice doing that.  If you want to learn to focus on a single thing for long periods, practice that by studying something for a particular length of time and increasing your time until you meet your goal.  It's up to you.