Think you're good at multitasking? Take this test.

Dave Crenshaw, author of the Myth of Multitasking, walks you though the original multitasking exercise example. Think you're a good multi-tasker? take this test. Download the exercise file here: http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com/multitasking-exercise.pdf

learn more at http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com

Category:

Education

Tags:

• myth
• of
• multitasking
• exercise
• example
• dave
• crenshaw

[Omgadnowai]

Took 37 seconds with the first part of the test, 40 with the second, and I blame the 3 seconds discrepancy on the time taken breaking my usual calligraphy down and having to life my pen a lot more...

Accurate test for anyone ?

[DaveCrenshawAuthor]

@Omgadnowai Not bad. Some people are faster at making switches than others. Now remember that there are three more consequences of multitasking than just time increase: quality of work (mistakes) and stress levels. There is also a fourth effect...see my video on effects of multitasking on relationships.

[DaveCrenshawAuthor]

@Coldretter Thanks for the comment. In The Myth of Multitasking I explain the difference between switchtasking and background tasking. Background tasking is when you're doing something mundane in the background (such as running on the treadmill and watching TV) and can actually be productive. However, when most people say they are good at "multitasking" they are really switchtasking, which always increases time to completion, mistakes and stress levels. See my video on relationships effects too.

[DaveCrenshawAuthor]

@Kouthan But there still is a cost to the switch. Different switches have different costs, but you can't avoid the cost. This is part of the reason why computer cores get hot. :-)

[DaveCrenshawAuthor]

@gugemaster True. You can't avoid switches, but you can implement systems to minimize them. The highest paid sales execs know this, and it's part of the reason why they get, sometimes at their own expense, a personal assistant. You can put filters between you and the switches and then deal with them in a timely manner.

See also my video on "Culture of When vs. Culture of Now".

Thanks for the comment!

[gugemaster]

@DaveCrenshawAuthor What about outdoor sales people who have to answer many sales inquiry calls while on the run throughout the day? Incoming calls must be answered promptly because they might need to sales orders. You can't avoid passive switches.

[DaveCrenshawAuthor]

@CerebralPrince10 Agreed. That's background tasking.

You still can't avoid the math. Whether you're young, old, male, female, good at multitasking or crappy at it, there is always SWITCHING COST. Do two or more divergent tasks at once and your brain rapidly switches between them. You incur switching cost, the four effects being:

1) Things take longer

2) You make more mistakes

3) You increase your stress levels

4) You damage relationships

[DaveCrenshawAuthor]

@CerebralPrince10 "I couldn't imagine having the time to hold only one task in mind at a time & still get everything done."

Here's the paradox: you would. :-)

On average, the clients I work with, and I work with business owners and CEOs, gain an extra 10+ of FREE TIME per week. This means they get everything done that they were getting done before, but faster and with less mistakes.

Why? Because we reduce the number of switches that take place in their day.

[CerebralPrince10]

@DaveCrenshawAuthor

My point is about time, and this is where I think we differ in terms of "efficiency". If I do two tasks simultaneously, so not just thinking about two separate tasks and switching between them like your example, but actually doing two tasks at the same time, at 51% efficiency of what I can do if I did them separately it would still be faster than doing one task at a time. I couldn't imagine having the time to hold only one task in mind at a time & still get everything done.

[CerebralPrince10]

@DaveCrenshawAuthor

I am sure most of the time you put 100% focus into one task you'll do better, or at least at the same level of proficiency, than if you were to do the same task with another one involved. The only examples that I can think of that this would not be the case is some people like listening to "background noise" ala tv or music. Or if doing a separate task like playing a beat in your head helps you relax and not stress and over-think your main task.

[DaveCrenshawAuthor]

@squeegeeification I don't think there is one, but I found plenty about multitasking causing heat, as well as computer lag and decreased performance. Google "multitasking computers heat"

[squeegeeification]

@Kouthan Interesting theory. Link please?