I left a job before I began my ill-fated graduate school career and before I left, I interviewed folks to replace me. And as I sat down in the big boss's office, I told my soon to be former boss, "anyone who says they are good at multitasking is immediately out of contention for this job." He just stared at me.
People are no good at multitasking. When people list it as a strength, I call bullshit. You can not possibly concentrate on more than one thing and do each thing well.
The position I left was, in part, a crisis counseling position. When people called me in times of crisis, there was nothing more important than helping them. I couldn't listen to them, watch television, and fold laundry at the same time. I LISTENED. It was my only job.
And, frankly, I think that's true about everything I do. I don't simultaneously read, write my blog entries, and chat on the phone. I can't. And neither can anyone else. At least not well.
I can't drive and talk on my cell phone. I can't text while I'm teaching. I can't write a letter and dance concurrently.
Whatever you're working on should be your priority. End of story.
So the very next person I talk to who says they are a multitasker, this is your warning. I might kick you in the teeth.
This was very interesting. I agree with you, although I really am a good multitasker at work (out of necessity, because I have to be and no one gives me the opportunity to work on something uninterrupted), but generally, I like to focus on one task and complete it before moving on to another.
ReplyDeleteI envy single-taskers. My wife is one. OTOH, life sometimes supplies interruptions and opportunities can pass by those who are so focused.
ReplyDeleteAlso, driving *itself* is multitasking: navigating, operating the controls, keeping watch for dangers, etc. Being able to perform all these tasks at once is a learned behavior. I submit that with time and practice, many tasks can be accomplished at the same time.
I multitask just fine, thank you. And, I call your bluff, you call me while you're driving quite often.
ReplyDeleteHappy Delurking Day!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you. I am not a multitasker at all. I am a procrastinator. I hide this at times behind being a multitasker. But you know about my ire when people are talking to me on the phone but I have to repeat myself multiple times because they are not really talking to me. Nuts, it drives me.
ReplyDeleteLike right now, I am writing on my blog about trivial bullsh*t when I should be writing on my short story. But I can pretend to be multi-tasking by saying I am thinking through a problem with my story while venting about said trivial bullsh*t, which is necessary in the grand scheme of my non-lfe.
*non-life
ReplyDeleteI am a GREAT multitasker! (and I'm going to find a mouth guard now...)
ReplyDelete