Someone I share office space with at Office Nomads started a conversation on Biznik about multi-tasking. He used an article on TheAtlantic.com as a jumping off spot. I think that piece is worthy of sharing because it speaks so directly to an issue many of us in business have: Basically, multi-tasking seems to be the only way to get everything done, but multi-tasking is a terrible way to get things done.

I can hear you asking: “What?” But I ask you to think about it for a second. Do you get more done on a project when you focus on that project or when you work on it while also checking your e-mail, switching the laundry into the dryer and considering your evening plans? Even if you get the project done while also doing all that, do you remember the details of your work? Was it easier or harder to get that work done?

According to The Atlantic article, you probably don’t remember most of the details of anything you do while multi-tasking and it takes longer to get a project done too. In the case of the laundry, it’s probably okay if you don’t recall all of the task afterwards, but you probably want to keep some of the numbers from that report in your head or know why you said what you did in a blog post.

Chris, the guy who started the Biznik thread started talking in the office about working for 90 minutes and then breaking for 30. No matter what, he said, keep to that schedule. If you’re in the middle of a sentence at 90 minutes, no matter. Stop and go take a break. He’s also been turning off his email, his phone and even his computer’s clock lately when he needs to get some serious work done. It’s his new thing and it definitely seems to be working for him.

I’m not quite at that point yet, but tomorrow, when I have to write an article for one of my clients, I’m turning off the e-mail and planning to work in 90-minute blocks to see how it goes.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, February 6th, 2008 at 10:31 am and is filed under Blogs and Business, Ephemera. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.