Multi-tasking: are there too many tasks and documents to be handled in a day?

Does it really work to your advantage?

Dependent on your business, if you are a small firm, you are no doubt faced with working on varied tasks during the day or at the same time, and you must wear many hats. Document management is of upmost importance to your everyday activities such as decision making, workflow processes, and dealing with clients.

What is multi-tasking about anyways? One main consideration is how our brain functions while we are doing more than one task at one time, and how well we do both tasks.

The definition of multi-tasking according to Oxford's Canadian Dictionary of Current English is the execution of a number of tasks at once.

Is that truly possible? In some circumstances, it is, however, at other times, it does not apply. Assess the results to determine how well you have done both jobs. What is the concentration level spent on both tasks? Which task gets the most attention? It is possible to write an important report and talk on the phone at the same time? Is it possible to file paper documents and visualize your next vendor's event? Did a comment distract you and cause you to shift gears? If I am writing an important report for year end, can I also prepare for my next meeting on another matter?

The main concern is about how well we perform while multi-tasking. Am I giving you all of my attention while talking on the phone and writing an important report? Am I risking misfiling a document while planning my next event? Do I risk deleting a document for lack of proper attention to the task? Have you ever been distracted while doing this and you don’t remember what you did with the file, it actually evades you.

What is the ratio of your attention span for each task when multi-tasking? Is it between 80/20 or 60/40? If I am talking on the phone while trying to complete an important task, I find myself getting wrapped up more in the task at hand than in the conversation. Something or someone gets lost in the process.

As an example of multi-tasking in regards to texting and driving, neuroscience has determined that the brain can't pay attention to both tasks. Dr. Oz's television program talked about the impact of doing two things at one time while driving and the article on deadly driving and texting reveals the following information.

"The same part of the brain that you use when you send a text message is the same part of the brain that you need for driving. The prefunctal cortex portion of your brain is used for multi-tasking; if you overload this part of brain,like driving and texting, it has problems functioning correctly. Another part of your brain helps you with spacial orientation, and this portion of your brain is hard to keep intact when you are texting and driving."

Francine Renaud
Records Management Consultant
http://www.timeouttoorganize.com/
Tel: 250-763-3988