From WeAreTheCity’s Future Leader’s Blog
Last week in our blog we talked about the “busy bug”, well let us carry on this week with another symptom of the having the busy bug.
Multitasking has long been praised as a great thing. Well, we think it’s a curse – and let us tell you why.
When you’re multitasking you are not really giving anything your full attention.
If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.’
Anonymous
We are sure we’re not the only ones who recognize scenarios such as these:
- Responding to emails while on a conference call – missing out on some key information that was shared at some point
- Checking text messages while listening to what the children did at school – not really hearing how their day has been
- Checking the phone while in meetings – sending the message to the other meeting participants that they are less important (even if not meaning to
- Working on a presentation and getting distracted by the pinging sound of an email in the inbox – going to check the email and losing trail of thought on the presentation, having to spend more time than needed on it
Sure, it’s good to be able to multitask when needed – when a crisis hits, when a deadline looms – but to operate out of a multitasking mode all the time is to waste our capability away.
A more effective mode is to be 100% present in whatever we do, whomever we’re with. It may not work all the time, but any improvement is an improvement.
Try it out; it’s a pretty cool being 100% present. And it sure beats a constant state of multitasking. AND it makes the people we are with feel very special, when they get our full attention.
About the authors
Mandy Flint & Elisabet Vinberg Hearn, award-winning authors of ”The Team Formula”.
Their latest book ”Leading Teams – 10 Challenges: 10 Solutions” is out now, published by Financial Times International.
Praise for ”Leading Teams: ”This book is a 21st-century guide on how to build a world-class team. I highly recommend it” Steve Siebold, Founder, Mental Toughness University, Florida USA.