What impact does multitasking have on focus?
So, you might be wondering what impact does multitasking -- how does it relates to focus? It has a tremendous impact. Many people think that because of new technologies, BlackBerrys and everything else that's available to us that we multi task throughout the day, we think we're being highly effective. When all research tells us we're being less and less effective. Well, here is what happens; you need to look at each individual project that you working on as a one dimensional concept. Now throughout the day you could be working on 5-15 different things, I certainly understand that, but in any given moment in time, you can not be talking to three people on the telephone, you cannot be talking to one customer at this second and typing an e-mail and sending it to another and think that you are truly being effective.
I guarantee you what's happening is you are losing focus from the customers on the phone and also making typos or mistakes in your communication and your written that you area sending out. People think this is funny, they think it's humorous, they think this is the way that business gets started in today's new technology, but all it does is it creates sloppiness, it creates mediocrity and it's a sign of an amateur. It's very important that you compartmentalize and you control this beast and when I talk about this beast, this idea of focus, you've got to identify the projects, the task, you got to pay off the height, that they have-- they are going to provide you with the highest pay off. You need to spend your time there and do nothing else other than just that.
I know myself when I have to get something done, I had to turn off the phone, I got to shut down my e-mail and I've got to spend an hour whether I am writing, researching or whatever and as soon as I let distractions come in, I am off in five or six different directions. So, I am real conscious and mindful of the fact that once I start to get in and start to get seduced by taking multiple task on at one time, that my -- the quality of my work diminishes greatly and that is true for every single human being regardless of how anyone actually takes it, that just the way that it is.