Is your ability to multitask listed as a skill on your résumé? Is your garage full of half-done projects? Do you consistently need to reread email threads?

The term multitasking originated in the technology field and referred to the ability of a computer to operate several programs at one time.  Unlike computers, most people don’t have the ability to switch back and forth between tasks without having to refresh their memory on the history/progress of the task at hand. For computers, multitasking is efficient. For most of us, it is not.  Focusing on a single task eliminates the extra time required for review and enables clarity of thought.  If your mind is occupied with several tasks at once, you may miss critical steps and most likely the final product will not be your best.

I honed my ability to concentrate in my previous profession as a U.S. Navy fighter pilot.  Landing a jet traveling 140 mph on a moving ship, in high seas, at night, and in bad weather requires singular focus. Mediocrity in this case could lead to catastrophic consequences for the pilot and/or the flight deck crew.  My options were to land successfully, inflight refuel from a jet flying overhead the carrier (another task that requires full concentration), or eject from a $100M aircraft and parachute into the sea. Options one and two were the only palatable choices and both required the ability to get “In the zone” mentally, like the focus seen from professional athletes.

Sometimes, multitasking is required, when unplanned or unforeseen problems arise.  Most of the time, though, with adequate forethought and scheduling, tasks can be handled sequentially and not simultaneously.  A common example of detrimental multitasking is cell phone use during meetings.  Is it acceptable within your organization’s culture to answer texts or to read emails during meetings? If a meeting is not important enough to garner 100% of your attention, then do you need to hold that meeting? And, with the recent proliferation of telework and use of video meeting platforms such as Zoom, the lure of multitasking has become stronger. Does everyone in your meetings have their camera on?  If the meeting has your undivided attention, then why turn off the video?

Learning to make focusing a habit requires practice. Being aware of disruptions is the first step.  Learning to sideline distractions and tackle tasks sequentially is next.  Finally, building specific time for each individual task into your schedule ensures success.  If you managed to read this article without checking your phone, you’re on your way to suppressing the impulse to multitask to mediocrity.

Authored By: Chad Vincelette, Managing Director