Multitasking is the ability to do two or more things at the same time. A good example is talking to a friend while you are walking. There are many people who claim that they can multitask in the work and even when doing chores at their homes. But is it really true that multitasking is that universal? The answer is no. Psychologists have done studies and have come up with an astounding finding; only 2% of the entire population can really multitask.
Multitasking in the business environment seems a must know technique. However, it has been proven time and again, trying to multitask makes one less productive and in many instances, the people who ‘multitask’ are the ones who make unacceptable errors. The reason for this is because when you multitask, you will suffer from ‘continuous partial attention’ which means that you are unable to go into detail of whatever task you are supposed to handle. Here are some of the exercises that will, however, help you improve on your multitasking endeavor:
Plan ahead what you want to do
In your workplace, you will gain immensely if you plan on what to do at the end of the previous day. When you plan or make a to-do-list, you are simply making sure that the most important tasks will be handled with the best attention while the lesser important tasks can be bundled together. This is why you can multitask as the other tasks don’t need a lot of attention.
List the tasks to do according to their importance or priority
In every situation, you will have the most important tasks as well as lesser important tasks. This means that the important tasks will and are supposed to take most of your attention and time. Prioritize on the important tasks and avoid doing anything else when tackling them. This will help you avoid making mistakes when tackling the important tasks. It is the way you handle the important tasks that will determine how well you have performed at your job.
Group tasks according to their similarity
You could be having many types of tasks on any given day most of which are different from each other. However, you might be required to call creditors and debtors. These tasks are similar as they require your calling. On the other hand, you might need to check your emails and social media accounts. Don’t check Facebook in the morning and Twitter two hours later. Look for a way to combine all of these tasks and getting done with them at a time. But also, it is very important to switch from intellectual to physical activity during the day. It always refreshes your mind and increases productivity.
Delegate
Multitasking is doing two things simultaneously. This does not specifically say that an entrepreneur should handle all the tasks alone. For better results, you can delegate some of the tasks and still achieve the much hyped multitasking task. Having realized that multitasking is almost never possible, especially if you are looking forward to getting the best possible results, you can delegate some of the tasks while you handle others. This will lead you to accomplish impressive results on two tasks at the same time.
Avoid all distractions
When working, you are likely to be distracted by external things as well as those that you create yourself. At your place of work, you can request your colleagues to give you space so that you can concentrate on the job at hand. At home, you can look for a corner or study room and lock yourself in. Keep your phones away from you and avoid all manner of chatting while you are working. Keeping distractions at the minimum will help you achieve more and increase the chance of you multitasking.