What does it take to have Multitasking done well?
Multitasking is a very tricky skill that is a mix of science, planning, foresight, and familiarity.
One of National Geographic’s videos about Multitasking defined it as the simultaneous act of doing several things that are highly distracting, requiring full attention, all happening at once. In that case, it was dribbling a ball and driving on an unfamiliar road with obstacles. What this definition failed to recognize is familiarity. The Millennials, known to pioneer multitasking, mostly multitask only when they are familiar with the task. This is not brought about by the generation but also the changes of technology and tools for productivity available.
So what will it take for multitasking to get done well?
FAMILIARITY
When one is familiar with certain tasks, more than the shortcuts, they find the ability to identify the downtime, the parts where less attention is required, and the best and worst-case scenarios explored. This then makes it easier to know when to multi-task and when to focus. With familiarity, timing becomes a friend. When one has good timing, multitasking can be done well.
FORESIGHT
Aside from familiarity, it is also necessary to have proper foresight on how each task involved in multitasking would end. Given that each would have different times of the end, the ability to see ahead how each would wrap up and where we would be as it happens is necessary. Without proper foresight, some tasks might get compromised just from the mere bad timing which can end in multitasking gone wrong.
PLANNING
As a belief in Film Production goes, Good Planning gets 50% of the film done, so does it in multitasking. Although not as elaborate as a Film Production, mental planning can help in getting multitasking done well. Planning may include delegation of tasks or setting tools to help out such as reminders, alarms, and timers. Multitasking on tasks with no plans is undeniably chaos waiting to happen. This is why you should put more focus on things that are not fully figured out yet because they require more planning throughout the course of the tasks as well as unfamiliarity (since it has not been fully figured out yet)
When Planning, you have to rank your tasks. Learn about the different types of tasks towards the end of this article. If planned well, you can reduce getting overwhelmed and you make the most out of each tasks as you multi-task
AWARENESS
Across all factors, the awareness that you are multitasking is essential. To recognize that certain tasks are deployed and are working in the background is the biggest key to multitasking done well.
Awareness should encompass not just yourself but the others that are involved in the tasks that you are multitasking. If it matters to them, they should know where they rank on your priorities as well, and where and how they should escalate if need be.
Well-done multitasking is a combination of the main task, a secondary task, and if available, another minor task.
How should the tasks be categorized for an, ultimately, well-done multitasking? Here is how you should rank them:
RANK ACCORDING TO ATTENTION REQUIRED
…and your energy levels available for disposal.
Any two tasks that need 100% of your focus should never be combined for multitasking. Tasks with 99% to 50% of attention needed will fall as a MAIN TASK. Those with 50% — 10% attention needed can fall under secondary tasks. While those with less than 10% of attention needed will fall under Minor tasks. Tasks like these are normally operated by another machine hence the minimal attention requirement.
More so, you need to know the amount of energy you have for that day when planning for multitasking. No matter how well you have done planning, if it doesn’t match your current energy levels, nothing good will be finished. Either the quality of work or your burnout levels will be compromised.
RANK ACCORDING TO RISKS INVOLVED
Evaluating risks is very subjective. It varies per person and is not the same every time. With this in mind, you should not combine 2–3 tasks with very high risks be combined in one multitasking session. Tasks that have less risks are normally those that can be postponed, don’t have many limited resources involved, and can be redone with not many costs such as maintenance tasks for your computer or chores such as laundry.
When a task has fewer risks involved, it can be a secondary or tertiary task that if mistakes happen, correcting it will not be as catastrophic or might even be reversed. However, keep in mind that if you happen to be doing a menial task with higher values involved such as laundry of a designer shirt or computer maintenance of a high value and vulnerable server, you might want to rethink several times where you rank them.
RANK ACCORDING TO DOWNTIME AVAILABLE
You might have not noticed this before but some tasks have downtime or phases where attention required is less to zero. Just like activating your robot vacuum or powering up automated filing systems, tasks like these have a certain phase that will not need you as much. You can set a timer to regularly check if errors are happening but sometimes these also have error-prompt programmed that can get your attention only when needed or once the task is completed. These tasks however are best ranked along with the first step of the main task. This way, more tasks are being completed in the background.
RANK ACCORDING TO PRIORITY
If you think this is the same as the rest of those saying the same lines, hear me out. The priority I am referring to here is the quality of life you want. If the quality of life you are gunning for needs a clean home, an organized workspace, and systematic tasks across all aspects then the tasks that need to keep going and the tasks that can be left behind are close to none. However, if your preferred quality of life is more dynamic, free-spirited, energetic, and fun, then your prioritized tasks are towards you getting more free time for yourself and the objective to multitask is guided by the craving to have more time for less structured living and decision making.
How has your concept of multitasking changed? What are your strategies and guidelines for multitasking? Which worked and which didn’t? Comment them down below.
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