Doing too many things at once reduces
efficiency, accuracy, and creativity
Based on over a half-century of cognitive science
and more recent studies on multitasking, we know that multitaskers do less and
miss information. It takes time (an average of 15 minutes) to re-orient to a
primary task after a distraction such as an email. Efficiency can drop by as
much as 40%. Long-term memory suffers and creativity—a skill associated with
keeping in mind multiple, less common, associations—is reduced.
We have a brain with billions of neurons and many
trillion of connections, but we seem incapable of doing multiple things at the
same time. Sadly, multitasking does not exist, at least not as we think about
it. We instead switch tasks. Our brain chooses which information to process.
For example, if you listen to speech, your visual cortex becomes less active,
so when you talk on the phone to a person and work on your computer at the same
time, you literally hear less of what the other person is saying.
Why do we try?
Our brains are wired to respond strongly to social
messaging, whether it is verbal or non-verbal. Knowing and improving our
status, expanding awareness of our group, is important to us, and as a result
information that helps us do that is often processed automatically, no matter
what else we are trying to focus on.
Remote distractions, the ones aided by technology,
are often unaware of current demands on us. People, who call you at work, send
you emails, or fire off texts can't see how busy you are with your current
task. Nor can Twitter feeds or email alerts. As a result, every communication
is an important one that interrupts you.
Also, we crave access to more information because
it makes us comfortable. People tend to search for information that confirms
what they already believe. Multiple sources of confirmation increase our
confidence in our choices. Paradoxically, more information also leads to
discomfort, because some of it might be conflicting. As a result, we then search
for more confirmatory information.
What can we do about it?
Technological demands are here to stay. What can
you do to avoid overload?
First, make an effort to do tasks one at a time.
Stick with one item until completion if you can. If attention starts to wane
(typically after about 18 minutes), you can switch to a new task, but take a
moment to leave yourself a note about where you were with the first one. Then
give the new task your full attention, again for as long as you can.
Second, know when to close your door. In the
"old days," people did this when they had to work hard on something.
Doing the same thing to the electronic equivalent is perhaps even more
important if you want to be productive and creative. Set aside time when people
know you are going to focus.
Third, admit that not all information is useful.
Consider which communications are worthy of interrupting you, and what new data
you should seek out. When doing a Google search, ask if you are just accessing
links that confirm what you already believe or those that challenge those
beliefs. Similarly, know the difference between social networks, which are
likely to confirm your choices and therefore make you feel good, and knowledge
networks, which might challenge them, and therefore help you make a better
decision.
Paul Atchley, Ph.D. is an associate
professor of Cognitive Psychology at the University of Kansas.
Provided by Harvard Business Review—Copyright © 2010
Harvard Business School Publishing. All rights reserved. Harvard Business
Publishing is an affiliate of Harvard Business School.
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