By: Brita Bolane
hansenbolane.com

Multi-tasking can be your downfall

You often hear people brag about their ability to multi-task and in doing so they believe that they are getting things done. Being able to do something and doing it well are two different things. Multi-tasking has its place-you can watch TV and fold the laundry at the same time without much repercussion but think of how fast you could fold the laundry and finish the task if you weren't sidetracked.

Now apply this same analogy to your work environment. When we focus on a big project that requires a lot of thought and field questions and phone calls at the same time, we actually end up taking longer to accomplish the big project. We also tend not to give the attention we should to the person on the phone. Have you ever been on the phone in a conversation and trying to type on your computer working on another project at the same time-two things happen-the person on the phone may hear you typing and ask if you are paying attention or they may say nothing but hang up with the feeling that you just didn't care about what they had to say. You may also find that you have to retype or re-read the project you are working on as you fade in and out of the phone conversation and in and out of the project at hand.

Stop multi-tasking and start single tasking for increased productivity. Utilizing blocks of focused time to concentrate on just one task can produce results far outreaching those when trying to focus on everything at once. Research shows that when people multitask they actually get less done as they reduce productivity and the quality of their work decreases. Research documented in the August 2005 issue of The Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance revealed that for all types of tasks, subjects lost time when they had to switch from one task to another, and time increased with the complexity of the task. Time costs also increased with tasks they weren't very familiar with.

The Power of Focus

When you focus on a specific project or task, you will be amazed at how just 15 minutes of uninterrupted time can produce amazing results. By focusing and single-tasking you are effectively managing your time, being more productive and learning the skill of prioritizing. Carve out uninterrupted time to work on your most critical tasks. Don't just check the easy things off your To-Do List-be critical when determining where to spend your time and what tasks really deserve your attention. Are there tasks that you are currently handling that could be effectively handled by an assistant or someone else in the company freeing up your time to focus on those items that must be accomplished by you or by someone at your pay level?

It's important to remember that all of the To-Do's that find their way on to your endless To-Do list do not bear the same weight. To-Do lists have a purpose but in order to utilize them effectively you must learn how to prioritize the tasks and focus on your priorities.

Use 15 minutes each day to review your projects and determine priority items.  Schedule your priority items on your daily calendar and work towards accomplishing them in the time you allotted for them. This is a work in progress-if you find you have not allotted enough time then you need to schedule additional time in the coming day or days to finish the step that is in motion. If you find you have scheduled too much time and you complete the task ahead of schedule, congratulate yourself for a job well done and then utilize the extra time to work on another task.

Miscalculating the amount of time it takes to accomplish a task is a common mistake and can be discouraging. Energy levels are a contributing factor but you can learn to use this to your advantage. Over time you will be able to determine when you have the most energy and will realize that to increase your productivity you should schedule your most difficult or demanding tasks during your period of highest energy.

Set Incremental Deadlines

Effective task management comes into play when we group like items together. Just as it is easier to find a binder clip if all office supplies are stored together, it is easier to accomplish tasks if we group like items together such as phone calls, emails, errands, etc.

Break projects into manageable tasks and assign incremental completion deadlines to keep the project moving forward.  One way to do this is to set an appointment with yourself to work on the first step of your top priority project and focus on it until that step is completed.

If you have a big project due on Wednesday, don't wait until Wednesday to start working on it. Rather break the project into smaller, manageable tasks and set incremental deadlines for these tasks. Completing tasks in increments gives you a sense of accomplishment and keeps your motivated and keeps you on schedule.

Schedule time during your day to make and return phone calls. You can increase your productivity by pre-determining how much time you need to allot to the conversation and then let the person know as soon as the greetings are done that you have X number of minutes to talk today and then you have another appointment. The other appointment is most likely another phone call but by setting a time limit in advance you don't risk offending the other party when you decide part way through the conversation that you have to run. This looks like an afterthought or an excuse where the pre-emptive time limit makes you seem prepared and business like. You can save lots of time just employing this one tip. This works well for meetings too!

Tickler Systems

Learning how to manage the constant incoming stream of tasks and projects is the number one way to reduce your stress and increase your productivity. Tickler systems can be the solution for those that are afraid to put anything away for fear of forgetting about it. Yet this fear often is realized as the important papers are lost in the piles of paper that we are afraid to file away.

Create a system that relies less on memory and more on organization. The two most common types of Tickler Systems are Calendar and Priority. If you have small time-sensitive tasks and projects, use the Calendar Tickler System. The Priority Tickler System works well if you work consists mostly of large scale projects.

The Calendar Tickler System is basically a working calendar. You create a filing system which has a folder for each day of the month (1-31) and a hanging file for each month of the year (January-December). Each action item or To-Do is filed in the corresponding folder for the day you plan to work on it. At the beginning of each work day you will pull the file for that day and schedule the tasks that you have assigned to yourself for processing that day. Any unfinished items are to be processed the same as a new item by putting it in the file that corresponds to the day you will work on it. Do not overload any one day and do not automatically move items that are unfinished to the next day.  This will create a system where you are never able to complete your daily assignments. You must re-evaluate the tasks and the time you have available and set realistic goals by dividing the unfinished work among the actual days you will be able to accomplish them.

At the end of the day, you will move the now empty folder into the hanging file folder for the following month. For example, at the end of May 15th you will move the file folder labeled number 15 into the June hanging folder. Folders 1 to 31 are rotating folders. Having visual files can help you avoid over-scheduling as you can see when a file is getting too full to process in a day.

Set up a Priority Tickler System for projects and action items. Using color-coded files, place your To-Do folders in the appropriate color hanging file. For example if you have a client proposal that must be completed today, then place it in the RED section for immediate action.

-RED CATEGORY: High priority or urgent task; complete task immediately.

-YELLOW CATEGORY: Task needs to be completed soon, but not until RED tasks are done.

-BLUE CATEGORY: Task need to be completed, but not until RED and YELLOW tasks are done.

Accomplish high-priority tasks during the time of day that you are at your best or have the most energy, such as first thing in the morning or before lunch. As you process your To-Do folder or inbox, create a file folder for each task or project and assign it to a priority category. Record the task on your Daily Priority Chart and file it in the corresponding hanging file. You will create a new priority work chart each workday. Work on your RED or HOT items, then YELLOW or WARM items, and after these are finished, tackle the BLUE or COOL items. Following this system ensures that your most pressing issues get taken care of first. It is all too easy to fall into the trap of accomplishing the easy tasks first while letting bigger tasks slide. It is important to be productive not just busy.

The advantages of using a tickler system is that is relies less on memory and more on efficiency. Your memory is similar to your computer's hard drive. As it becomes full, it takes longer to retrieve information, and sometime the system will fail or crash, losing important information. In addition, you'll see less clutter in the office as you have organized files instead of stacks of paper. Also, To-Do items are easy to track and retrieve.

Remember, the better you are at prioritizing the more productive and less stressed you'll be.