"Advanced Multitasking" by Mike Sanders

This website is dedicated to exploring the topic of multitasking. Much has been assumed, much misunderstood. I would like to share with you my journey on the subject. I found out the facts about Multitasking and, in doing so, became more productive ... and happier.

An LA Story

I was a multitasker. I had four, full-time jobs, had to be on two conference calls at the same time, needed to prepare for a presentation, and was eating a banana (LA's power lunch). This was serious business. Not a game. You see, multitasking is not for the weak or those Type B personalities. It belongs in the realm of overachievers and maybe even ADD.

But I digress. When it was all over, I had completed both conference calls, finished my power lunch, and even prepared in my head for the presentation I was about to give. Setting in my office, I couldn't help but bask in victory over these many tasks. I asked myself, "Why am I such a good multitasker? I need to share my gift with the world." I named my special gift Powertasking™!

And that, friends, launched me on a personal journey that would become both horrifying and head shrinking. What happened to me next is something I really want you to know. It began with some research on the subject and a bit of objective self assessment.

Note that paragraph heading links are listed below for your convenience.

What is Multitasking? back

To begin my research, I decided to define Multitasking. Some common definitions are listed below:

  • "… ability to do more than one thing at a time." (Cambridge Dictionary)

  • "… performing multiple tasks at one time." (Webster Dictionary)

  • "… concurrent operation by one CPU of two or more processes." (American Heritage Dictionary)

Multitasking logic goes like this. Our brain is like a computer’s CPU. A CPU can co-process, doing more than one thing at a time. Therefore, we can do more than one thing at a time. For our purpose, let's define Multitasking as "doing more than one thing at a time."

Establishing Multitasking Metrics back

So I felt my Multitasking had achieved a new, high level of competence and I needed to measure my uncommon prowess. And since I had been keeping a planner and journal for over 20 years, I decided to assess my Multitasking productivity over a one year period. To do this, I came up with the following metrics as objective measurements.

  • Task Loading - tasks in process; on my plate each week

  • Completed Tasks - tasks completed each week

  • Overtime - hours worked over 40 per week; overtime

  • Health - relative body weight, sleep quality, and regular exercise

  • Happiness - personal fun and work enjoyment; yes, a bit subjective, but not hard to evaluate

  • Relationships - Both personal and business (better, worse, no change)

Actual Multitasking Metrics (Real Measurements Over a Year) back

As I looked back over the past year in my planner and journal, the evidence was clear: I wasn't doing well. The measurements were undeniable and certainly not what I expected.

  • Task Loading - There were now twice as many tasks in my queue each week.

  • Completed Tasks - I was completing half as many each week.

  • Overtime - I was working double the overtime hours each week; many times over 20.

  • Health - My health was poorer; I had gained over 30 lbs, did not exercise, and did not sleep regularly.

  • Happiness - Had become relatively unhappy; I had less fun time at home, generally disliked my job, and I was not very happy.

  • Relationships - Relationships had become strained at work and at home. They had worsened.

These facts horrified me. I looked them over again and again in disbelief. You see, I completely believed I had become much more productive and happier over the past year. This was because I was doing more things. But, apparently, just doing more is not enough. My life was actually failing, taking a downturn; and I thought I was winning.

I needed to find out more about what was going on.

Was I really Multitasking? back

“To do two things at once is to do neither.” Publilius Syros - Roman Philosopher – 100AD

This infamous quote implies that we have known there are problems doing more than one thing at a time, for some time. The research proves this out as well.

As cited in Monitor on Psychology, " ... multitasking may actually be less efficient -- especially for complicated or unfamiliar tasks -- because it takes extra time to shift mental gears every time a person switches between the two tasks" (Smith, October, 2001).

My research on the subject began with simple internet searches and the same type of information continued to pour in. Multitasking causes problems. The body of knowledge on the subject was consistent. We really were not really Multitasking. And when we try to Multitask, doing more than one thing at a time, we are just clouding our minds with many, fuzzy images of previous tasks while working on the one at hand. These could be called task frames or ghosts.

We are not really Multitasking when we try to do more than one thing at a time, we are actually "task switching" - sometimes, many times a minute. Task switching has many perils.

What about Task Switching? back

As mentioned earlier, task switching can happen many times a minute. We switch tasks in our minds often. But the more complex the task is, the harder it is to switch, the more cognitive impairment. Cognitive damage can happen over time. This happens because we often switch tasks:

  • Many times per minute. (It has been estimated we have up to 50,000 thoughts per day.)

  • Without assigning thoughtful task priority.

  • Without regard to task scope.

  • Without considering the resources required to perform the task.

Tasking Enablers back

To switch tasks easier and more productively, we need to enable the switching. There are three task switching enablers: 1) setting task priorities before switching, 2) creating task queues, and 3) de-engaging tasks properly.

1. Pre-Setting Task Priorities

We sometimes shift tasks in a hurry and without thinking. We sometimes grapple with switching tasks with a certain level of confusion and anxiety. Lost switch time resulting from this can be avoided and bad decisions can be eliminated by setting task priorities in advance.

2. Creating Task Queues and In Advance of the Switch

When first beginning work on a task (engage) create task queues, or triggers, that will allow you to re-engage tasks faster and with more accuracy when you return.

3. De-engaging Tasks Properly

As you switch off (or de-engage) tasks, update the task queues, or triggers, that will allow you to re-engage the task faster and with more accuracy when you return.

Tasking-Under-the-Influence (TUI™) and Task Ghosting™ back

The fact is, when we attempt to Multitask, we usually task switch poorly. That is because we tend to just drop one task and start another. We do this without carefully leaving the task - or de-engaging (I use the word de-engage instead of dis-engage because I do not want this to be as easy as dis-engaging). To de-engage, we must note information like the task status and devise and update the task triggers for future re-engagement. Not doing this causes a host of problems. When we de-engage improperly, three things happen.

First, we have lost our place and it will now take longer to ramp back up when we re-engage (return) to the task.

Second, residual memory from the previous task or tasks can impede cognitive thinking on the current task. I call this residual task memory Task Ghosting™ or tasking-under-the-influence (TUI™). TUI is more prevalent as the tasks become more complex and it can results in poor thinking, garbled task memory, slow performance, and outright mistakes - sometimes catastrophic.

Third, if we choose, either by accident or negligence, to work on the wrong task, we could be working 100% inefficiently since our effective productivity is a net zero. This brings us to the following three conclusions about Multitasking:

1. We "think" we are doing this when we attempt to Multitask.

2. We actually "are" doing this when we attempt to Multitask. Note the rocky task breaks.

3. We should be doing this handle one task at a time (Powertasking™).

The Enormous Cost of Multitasking back

We can conclude that there are four potential harmful effects of Multitasking. These effects can result in poor task performance. They come both from research listed in the References below and from my own personal task performance and lack thereof. These four effects are:

  1. Lost task switching time results from the physiological time gap we experience each time we switch tasks This could cumulatively be ~5% of your work day.

  2. Poor task engagement results from the productivity lag of cognitive and memory ramp-up after a task switch, This could cumulatively be ~20% of your work day.

  3. Faulty task prioritization occurs from accidental or careless decisions to work on the wrong task. This could cumulatively be ~50% of your work day.

  4. Task performance errors happen when mistakes are made from incorrect task assumptions or facts. This could cumulatively be ~25% of your work day.

So, on any given day, you could actually be 100% ineffective. Research has shown that continued and heavy task switching, especially when the tasks are relatively complex in nature, can actually result in cognitive impairment - brain freeze. This impairment can result in poor thinking and general forgetfulness.

What is Powertasking™? back

Powertasking is doing one task at a time - superbly well. To Powertask, you must properly engage a task when entering it and properly de-engage it when leaving. When you Powertask, you do not have to deal with Task Ghosting (or TUI). That is because you have properly de-engaged yourself from all the previous tasks. And since you have prioritized all of your tasks in advance, you always know what you need to do next and therefore, and by definition,you are always working on the right tasks, using less thinking to decide.

  • Prioritize tasks in advance

  • Engage tasks properly - set them up for switching

  • De-engage tasks properly - update triggers for re-engagement (capture your effort)

Powertasking Tools back

Powertasking tools assume that you are working on one task at a time. Working on one task, the right task, and at the right time will make you more focused and more productive.

To Powertask, please do the following:

  • Determine your life priority. Answer the question "What do you want" (WDYW)?

  • Framed by the answer to WDYW, List and Prioritize all your tasks, both personal and business.

  • Create task queues (or triggers) when you engage them to help re-engage your tasks at a later time.

  • De-engage tasks properly.

  • Delete tasks when you can.

  • Delegate tasks when you can.

  • Transfer tasks when you can.

  • Shave tasks when you can.

  • Breathe once in a while, look up, take a walk! People actually stop breathing at their terminals over time!

  • Get feedback on your progress in real time and then apply it.

About the DDTS - Getting Tasks Off Your Plate back

Delete - Get rid of tasks that are not priorities and not important to you. A task deleted is a task completed!

Delegate - Assign tasks to others that are not your priority or can efficiently be done by others.

Transfer - Move tasks to those who should be responsible for them. Avoid doing the work of others.

Shave - Reduce the scope of your tasks whenever possible. Stop doing pet projects of little or no value (WDYW).

You Have Three Brains ... So Who's In Charge? back

I was first introduced to the concept of our three brains from Dr. Mark Waller. In his book, "The Dance of the Lion and the Unicorn" (2004), Dr. Waller describes your three brains, their functions, purpose, and development.

Your three brains include the Reptilian brain (automatic functionality like breathing and heart beating), the Limbic System (or Mammalian brain) for emotional thinking, and the Cerebral Cortex (prefrontal lobes or high-brain) for problem solving and analytical thinking. he Reptilian and Mammalian brains develop automatically. But the Cerebral Cortex develops over time - we are not hard-wired for this type of thinking.

Knowing about your three brains is extremely important in knowing what affects setting your task priorities. Typically, we use the wrong brain to prioritize our tasks by default. And this leads us to many problems. Just ask the past Governor of New York.

You want to use your high-level thinking (or Cerebral Cortex) when setting task priorities because that brain is neither acting in a primal manner (Reptilian) nor emotional manner (Mammalian).

Why Use Your Cerebral Cortex? back

The Hawthorne Studies in the late 20's revealed that if we observe something, it gets better.

In these groundbreaking studies, Western Electric's Hawthorne plant in Chicago conducted experiments in productivity using lighting. Each time the lighting was changed (up or down), productivity increased.

There were other conclusions from these studies, but the bottom line for me was this: if you observe it, it gets better.

For our productivity improvement, the challenge is to observe ourselves and do this through the eyes of our Cerebral Cortex, our Prefrontal Lobes, our higher self. But how do we consciously interact with and engage this higher-level thinking?

Consider the banana.

Micromeditation™ - Consider the Banana back

Meditation is a good way to contact your higher-level thinking. Try this simple exercise below. I call it Micromeditation. It takes only about 60 seconds and, if you are like me, that is about all the time you have for meditation. At the end of the meditation (visualization) exercise, ask yourself a key question, "what do you want?."

  1. Breathe in, exhale (10 sec).

  2. Breathe in, exhale (10 sec).

  3. Breathe in, exhale (10 sec).

  4. Touch the banana (10 sec).

  5. Peel the banana (10 sec).

  6. Take a bite of the banana (10 sec).

Now ask yourself the question "What do you want?" Answer in hand, now Prioritize all your tasks under that umbrella. Everything you do should fall under the answer to "what do you want." If not, stop doing it.

Please repeat this exercise three times a day - morning, noon and night. Note that your answer to WDYW will change over time. And so will your priorities.

Powertasking Model back

Now you have all the elements of Powertasking. And the Powertasking process becomes straight forward.

  1. First and regularly, Micromeditate or grab some silence or calm; contact your higher self and answer the question WDYW.
  2. Answer in hand, list and prioritize all tasks, personal and business.
  3. Create task queues (or triggers) for these tasks.
  4. Engage, de-engage, and re-engage these prioritized tasks, as required.
  5. As you work on your tasks, continually update your queues (triggers) in case you must de-engage quickly.
  6. Observe yourself continually through your higher self; consider the banana - lol.
  7. Perform your DDTS regularly; get tasks, and pieces of tasks, off your plate.
  8. Get feedback from your peers, employees, friends, manager, and family regularly. Apply it.
  9. Repeat this process ... forever.
  10. Be happy and spend more time on the important stuff.

The Powertasking model is shown below.

Powertasking Model

About Planning, Tracking, and Metrics back

Planning

I highly recommend that you plan, track your task quantity and completions, and measure your productivity weekly. From this information and process, you can see which tasks are carrying over from week to week and which are taking too much time or never completing.

There are a lot of planning systems out there. One of the best is the Franklin Day Planner® and the FranklinCovey® Planning System. I used this system for almost 10 years. It was great! But eventually I grew out of it and created my own system - a bit more flexible. See the download below (please email me for the password). For my planning system, I purchase Boorum & Pease®, sturdy journals, quad-ruled. I draw out my week by hand, each week, from scratch. Each 150-page book lasts about year comfortably. Please email me if you would like more information on this system.

Tracking

I track my time and tasks in a "Week-at-a-Glance" view. The diagram below shows the two-page view. The left page is reserved for notes and the right page is used for task tracking by the day of the week and task list. I use the same symbols as Franklin and every so often I through in a calendar for a month view. This is a very loose system on purpose - we need to be flexible. There are lots of nuances to me system - much more than we can go into here. But the idea is to track your tasks and be accountable for there completion.

Metrics

I suggest that you track your task completions (check marks), your task quantity, and your work hours per day at a minimum. Look it over weekly and watch what happens over time. You will be amazed.

Week-at-a-Glance Planner

To Multitask or not to Multitask, that is the question! back

We now have two choices:

We can Multitask - Try to do more than one thing at a time "poorly." And damage your brain.

We can Powertask - Do one thing at a time "perfectly." Do more, work less, and be happy.

By Powertasking, you work on the right tasks, you work those tasks faster and with fewer errors, and you continually re-evaluate. This process will significantly improve your productivity, make more time for the important things in your life, and create endless possibilities for, of course, happiness.

If you really think about it, there is no down side. And best of all, it's free.

Download Multitasking Presentation - Free back

Download Power Tools - Free back

Using this Material back

Please these materials and download information and templates on this site for reference and/or presentation. I ask only you attribute their origins.

Thanks for your time and I hope this material is useful to you. Please let me know! Constructive criticism, comments, and questions are always welcome. You can email me at mike.sanders@sce.com or call 8a-6p PST at 714-615-5477. I present regularly on Advanced Multitasking concepts in Southern California. Let me know if you would like me to present at your association, company, educational institution, dinner, or event. This is a labor of love for me. I accept no fees.

References are listed below. But do your own investigation and be amazed.

References and Suggested Reading back

Altmann, E. M. (2004). The preparation effect in task switching: Carryover of SOA. Memory & Cognition, 32, 153-163.

Altmann, E. M., & Gray, W. D. (2002). Forgetting to remember: the functional relationship of decay and interference. Psychological Science, 13, 27–33.

Altmann, E. M., & Trafton, J. G. (2002). Memory for goals: an activation-based model. Cognitive Science, 26, 39–83.

Anderson, J. R. (1993). Rules of the Mind. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Anderson, J. R.,& Lebiere,C.(Eds.). (1998). The atomic components of thought. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Anderson, P. (December 6, 2001). Multitasking is counterproductive. CNN.com. Retrieved on December 17, 2007 from http://archives.cnn.com/2001/CAREER/trends/08/05/multitasking.study/.

Avery-Snell, J. (July, 2007). Is Multi-tasking Counterproductive? American Management Association - Moving Ahead. Retrieved on February 13, 2008 from http://www.amanet.org/movingahead/editorial.cfm?Ed=542.

Baddeley, A. D. (1986). Working Memory. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press.

Baddeley, A. D., & Scott, D. (1971). Short term forgetting in the absence of proactive interference. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 23, 275–283.

Clark, D., (1999). The Hawthorne Effect. Retrieved from http://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/history/hawthorne.html on August 7, 2008.

Dictionary of Sociology (1998). The Hawthorne Studies. Retrieved on August 7, 2008 from http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O88-Hawthornestudies.html.

Estes, W. K. (1955). Statistical theory of spontaneous recovery and regression. Psychological Review, 62, 145–154.

Fagot, C. D. (1994). Chronometric investigations of task switching. Ph.D. thesis, Psychology Department, University of California, San Diego.

Gopher, D., Armony, L., & Greenspan, Y. (2000). Switching tasks and attention policies. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 129, 308-229.

Kramer, A. F., Hahn, S.,& Gopher, D. (1999). Task coordination and aging: explorations of executive control processes in the task switching paradigm. Acta Psychologica, 101, 339–378.

Luce, R. D. (1986). Response times: their role in inferring elementary mental organization. New York: Oxford University Press.

Mayr, U. & Kliegl, R. (2000). Task-set switching and long-term memory retrieval. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 26, 1124-1140.

Meyer, D. E. & Kieras, D. E. (1997a). EPIC - A computational theory of executive cognitive processes and multiple-task performance: Part 1. Basic mechanisms. Psychological Review, 104, 3-65.

Meyer, D. E. & Kieras, D. E. (1997b). A computational theory of executive cognitive processes and multiple-task performance: Part 2. Accounts of psychological refractory-period phenomena. Psychological Review, 104, 749-791.

Monsell, S., Azuma, R., Eimer, M., Le Pelley, M., & Strafford, S. (1998, July). Does a prepared task switch require an extra (control) process between stimulus onset and response selection? Poster presented at the 18th International Symposium on Attention and Performance, Windsor Great Park, United Kingdom.

Monsell, S., Yeung, N., & Azuma, R. (2000). Reconfiguration of task-set: Is it easier to switch to the weaker task? Psychological Research, 63, 250-264.

Psychology Matters. (N.D.) Multitasking - Switching Costs - Subtle switching costs cut efficiency, raise risk. APA Online - Psychology Matters. Retrieved on December 20, 2008 from http://www.psychologymatters.org/multitask0306.html.

Rogers, R. D. ,& Monsell, S. (1995). Costs of a predictable switch between simple cognitive tasks. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 124, 207–231.

Rubenstein, J., Mayer, D, & Evans, J. (August 5, 2001). Is Multitasking more efficient? Shifting mental gears costs time, especially when shifting to less familiar tasks. Journal of Experimental Psychology. Retrieved on February 13, 2008 from http://apa.org/releases/multitasking.html.

Smith, D. (2001). Multitasking undermines our efficiency, study suggests. Monitor on Psychology. 32 (9), October, 2001. Retrieved on July 25, 2008 from http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct01/multitask.html.

Sohn, M. -H., & Anderson, J. R. (2003). Stimulus related priming during task switching. Memory & Cognition, 31, 775-780.

Ba, M., Is Multitasking More Effective? Ezine @rticles. Retrieved on September 28, 2008 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Is-Multitasking-More-Effective?&id=341597.

Waller, M. (2004). The Dance of the Lion and the Unicorn. Bloomington, Indiana, AuthorHouse.

Wazack, F., Homel, B., & Allport, A. (2003). Task-switching and long-term priming: Role of episodic stimulus-task bindings in task shift costs. Cognitive Psychology, 46, 361-413.

Wickelgren, W. A. (1977). Speed-accuracy tradeoff and information processing dynamics. Acta Psychologica, 41, 67–85.

About Mike

Mike Sanders is a Project Manager, Technical Writer, and Public Speaker - mike.sanders@sce.com.

Mike is a Project Manager at Southern California Edison and PMP. He is President of the
Society for Technical Communication and past President of the Project Management Institute Inland Empire Chapters.

Mike has taught and trained on many subjects at the university, college, and industry levels.
A regular speaker at PMI, STC, and UCI. He has presented his Advanced Multitasking techniques
at the PMI Inland Empire Chapter, PMI Los Angeles Chapter, IIBA (Business Analyst Association) in Orange County,
2008 ILCEP Conference at San Diego's Naval Weapons Center, 2008 Southern Technology Conference (SoTeC),
and regularly through the University of California Irvine's Project Management Certification Program. In November and
December, he will present Advanced Multitasking at the Orange County Chapter of the SQCAA and PMI Orange County.

Mike has been featured twice in PMI's PM Network Magazine. In 2009. he discussed his multitasking techniques (Juggling Act - p. 44).

To email Mike, click here. Comments, suggestions, and questions about multitasking are always welcome!

© 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 - Mike Sanders - Last updated April 23, 2011.