The Myth of Multitasking
Reviewed by Jeri Dansky
“Multitasking is worse than a lie,” says author Dave Crenshaw in his new book, The Myth of Multitasking. He distinguishes between two types of multitasking:
1. Switchtasking, where you aren’t really multitasking, but rather switching back and forth between two (or more) tasks — and becoming hugely inefficient in the process.
2. Background tasking, where you can indeed do two things at once, because one of them doesn’t require mental effort.
But when people talk about being good multitaskers, they aren’t referring to background tasking. Crenshaw provides a quick exercise to illustrate how inefficient switchtasking can be, and advice on how to break the habit. Much of that has to do with minimizing interruptions: from phone calls, e-mail, instant messaging, people walking into your office.
Now, these aren’t new ideas. I first read about the importance of uninterrupted time in the book Peopleware, by Tom DeMarco and Timothy Lister, which was first published in 1987. Going much further back, The Atlantic ran an article entitled “The Autumn of the Multitaskers” which quotes Publilius Syrius, a Roman slave from the first century B.C.: “To do two things at once is to do neither.”
Another key point, the importance of giving people your undivided attention, reminds me of the Buddhist emphasis on mindfulness and the admonition from Ram Dass to “Be here now.”
The ideas presented by Crenshaw are pretty simple; they could be conveyed in a short magazine article. As it is, they’re presented in a 138-page book that measures 5.5 inches by 7.5 inches and costs $19.95. The concepts are presented in the form of a story of a consultant working with his client.
But if this book gets people to reconsider their penchant for multitasking, I’m all for it!
On the Web:
www.theatlantic.com/doc/200711/multitasking
www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/focus/s_585921.html
Creshaw is far from the only person railing against multitasking lately. Carl Honore writes of “the curse of multi-tasking” in his book, In Praise of Slowness, saying: “Doing two things at once seems so clever, so efficient, so modern. And yet what it often means is doing two things not very well.”
Chrissy Eaton writes in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review about her experience being totally focused on just one thing: “I’m on the phone with my friend. I’m not multitasking. I’m just on the phone with her, no headset, no other jobs, just talking to her. I’m listening to her, not just hearing her. It’s amazing what you hear when you listen.
“This multitasking thing sounded like a good idea, but not so much anymore. People, your friends, they deserve more from you, and I, for one, plan on giving it to them. I will give them my full attention, because they deserve it.”
