Common Sense:  If I do a lot of things in parallel I can get a lot more done in a day.  While talking on the phone, I can answer email, do text messaging, and even work on that important presentation at the same time, right?  Not if you are a contrarian goldfish!

Contrarian thought:  Dividing your attention amongst several tasks does not allow you to do quality work, which usually means redoing what you were working on.

Have you ever experienced not being “present” to a discussion on a conference call because you were trying to do email at same time?  You have been listening for a while when suddenly someone asks you a question and you have no idea of what they were talking about.  If you weren’t planning on paying attention to the discussion, why did you join the call in the first place?

Research has shown that the human brain is incapable of processing two threads of thoughts at the same time.  So what really happens when you multitask is this: while your brain is trying to complete one task, it is being constantly interrupted by the demand from the other task.  Therefore, it never reaches the level of concentration required to get quality work done.

If you are looking for ways to improve your productivity you are much better off prioritizing your tasks and focusing on getting the most important tasks done first.  Something that is important and impactful requires your full concentration and should be done without interruptions.  Here are a few different ways to avoiding interruption:

Turn off Text-Messaging

Text messaging may be great for teenagers flirting at the mall.  But for people that are trying to get results it is one of the worst tools available.  Signing on to text-messaging in a work environment is like giving all your co-workers permission to interrupt you at any time.  The message you are sending is that your time is not important enough and that anyone can take it from you at their will. 

Don’t Check Email All Day

Email can be a good tool if used properly.  Email messages need to be short and to the point.  If you are composing a message, don’t write a novel.  If it is a discussion that needs a lot of back and forth, you would be much better off just calling the person.  Don’t check your email more than two or three times a day.  If someone has something really important to tell you they will call you.

Don’t Answer Every Phone Call

Voice mail and caller id have been around for a long time, but they are some of the best technologies out there when it comes to being effective.  When a call comes in, take a quick glance at the caller id.  Unless it is an important call that you have been expecting, let the call go to voice mail.  Once a day, check your voice mail and then respond at your most convenient time and through your preferred channel.  Sometimes a long voice message can be replied to by a quick email.  The key is for you to be in charge of your own time, not someone else.

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