Are you strong at multi tasking?
Written by Stuart Haden on March 2, 2016
Are you strong at multi tasking? I am, I’ve developed it over the years. So I hope you won’t mind taking a ride in my car. I’ll keep to the speed limits but as a proficient multi tasker I will also be making phone calls, eating my lunch, playing with the radio and picking up my emails. Latest research has shown that being over the legal alcohol limit is actually safer than attempting any of the above. So actually I am not a strong multi tasker, quite the opposite. Instead I have learnt to concentrate on one thing at a time.
A multi tasker in my view is often a multi taker. Taking us away from optimal performance, even though we think these states are down to multi tasking they are not. The better description of this moment is – singularity of event and multi channeled experience.
We concentrate on one thing, singularity. Then we can pick up info from different channels. You are applying intense focus (in the open plan office that is the best form of distraction) to a presentation that you are writing, and then the multi channels kick in. Aware of the noises around you, but not distracted. Getting great ideas for slide 7 even when you have yet to open the PowerPoint deck. The flash of an image that you know will define your opening slide. The links you can make to business success even though they won’t even be apparent for weeks to come.
Speaking of events I have recently designed four workshops to achieve optimal performance for individuals, team and organisations. If you want to test one of these out let me know. Only if you are up for ridding the environment of multi tasking though!?