Lifetime Moms

I have always considered myself great at multi-tasking. If you need someone to wash the clothes and feed a baby, all while typing up an email to her most important client, then I’m your girl. I used to think that being great at multi-tasking was a talent, but after reading Bruce Weinstein’s article in Business Week, "The Ethics of Multitasking," I’m beginning to think it’s more of a hindrance.

According to Weinstein’s research, multitasking reduces rather than enhances the quality of our work – and our lives.

Psychiatrist Edward M. Hallowell, author of CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap! (Ballantine, 2006), puts it this way: "Multitasking is shifting focus from one task to another in rapid succession. It gives the illusion that we're simultaneously tasking, but we're really not. It's like playing tennis with three balls."

At my last job, I had a boss that was so preoccupied during meetings she would often ask people to repeat themselves, simply because she wasn’t listening. She would even answer her mobile phone in the middle of meetings.

To be the most efficient it’s important to following these guidelines.

Do one thing at a time.
Focus on one task at a time and do the BEST you can. I’m always trying to handle too many things at once leaving an endless amount of disorganized mess.

Give yourself a break.
Take some time for yourself - your email buddies, facebook friends, and twitter followers will survive a few hours without an update.

Remember why they’re called "sick days" and "vacations".
Simply put, leave the blackberry and laptop at home, because if you are sick you need the rest and if you’re on vacation you need to relax. Leaving all communication behind will allow you to focus on the task at hand. I’ve called in sick on several occasions just so I could clean the house or catch up on laundry. But when I actually needed the time to rest I didn’t have it.

Respect the personal lives of those you manage and work with.
I know it will be hard for me to stop the multitasking habit. As I’m typing this letter, I’m also scanning my email and reading articles on how to get organized.

Do you have any suggestions or tips on how to break the multitasking habit?

You aren’t the only one that seeks a social life. When you leave the office for the weekend leave it closed, don’t bother others about work related issues unless they are important.

Read "The Ethics of Multitasking" in its entirety.