These are the 4 biggest myths about him

Multitasking kills productivity: These are the 4 biggest myths about it

As an entrepreneur, amateur athlete and father of two, Artis Rosenthals knows that multitasking is sometimes the only option to get anything done. We are often expected to juggle, both by our companies and families.

“This is precisely why I try to avoid multitasking as much as possible during my working hours. And I’m doing everything I can to kill what I call the ‘culture of multitasking’ in my company,” said Artis.

As a productivity expert, he has encountered many productivity myths centered around multitasking. Some of them are so deeply rooted in our thinking that we can see them as universal truths instead of the fiction that it really is. He classified these assumptions in the four biggest myths which can harm the efficiency of the company, he writes Entrepreneur.

Myth #1: Multitasking employees are more productive

Many are familiar with companies that resemble a beehive: the crowd is always there, and everyone seems busy and stressed most of the time.

“If we had the time and capacity to analyze such organizations, I am sure that most of them would exhibit a ‘culture of multitasking’ – an environment in which you are judged by the number of tasks you juggle instead of the results you bring,” he said.

However, countless companies fall into the trap of confusing productivity with “looking busy”. If you simply want to look busy, multitasking can indeed be one strategy to use. But if you’re a multitasker who strives to be productive, Artis has bad news.

Research findings that point to the harmful effects of multitasking are convincingfrom interfering with your working memory to tending to lose focus and generally forget things.

Simply put, human brain cannot effectively deal with multiple complex tasks at the same time. This is why multitasking often leads to context switching, which can be time-consuming and error-prone.

Myth #2: Multitasking helps your team meet deadlines

Instead of helping you achieve your goals, multitasking slows you down due to the mental strain associated with jumping from one task to another. In this way, multitasking can lead to delays and missed deadlines.

Focused work with clear priorities is a tactic for efficient time management.

“My approach is to replace periods of focused work with strategic breaks and promote this practice to my team as well,” said Artis Rosenthals.

This is nothing new – ten years ago, a study revealed a 52/17 ratio of breaks at work among the most productive people. She also showed that the combination of 52-minute sessions of continuous work with 17-minute breaks is the golden ratio for achieving maximum productivity during the working day.

“This approach still works for me, although I sometimes adjust the length of any of those periods to suit my needs. Employees can also choose their individual break ratio at work – it can be the 25/5 Pomodoro technique, whatever works for them, as long as it doesn’t involve jumping from task to task every two minutes.

Posao, multitasking (Freepik)

Myth #3: A multitasking boss is the best

While multitasking can make a manager look like a jack of all trades, it can also show a lack of prioritization and planning skills. Even worse, if they try to micromanage employees and poke their noses into everyone else’s business, Artis said.

Focusing on a manager’s key responsibilities demonstrates much greater value and expertise. Being omnipresent and being a leader are two different things – if you do the latter correctly.

“I think it is best to have a self-sufficient team that can do all or most of the tasks independently of the manager’s input. In addition, the manager should be available to answer strategic questions and give instructions to the team,” he explained.

Work, employees, multitasking (Pexels)

Myth #4: Employees are productive if they respond quickly

Employees often feel obligated to immediately respond to their boss’s texts or emails simply because they are afraid of appearing distracted or relaxed.

“In my company, we try to do the opposite – the result of your work is important, not the speed of responding to emails or Slack messages. I respect that individual work styles of employees may differ. Therefore, no one is forced to always be available. However, some positions require more response than others,” concluded Artis.

Source: BIZLife

Photo: Unsplash, Freepik, Pexels