Multi-Tasking – The Death of Productivity

You’re a multi-tasker! You get things done! You can juggle with the best of them! Except… you don’t and you can’t. No matter how smart you are, that’s just not the way your brain is wired.

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Research has shown that we “serial-task” instead, we switch from one activity to the next, one task to another;  believing we’re multi-tasking and getting more done. In reality, we are only fooling ourselves – not only do we slow down (even as much as 40%), but we also make more mistakes. Add to that the stress from being overwhelmed, missing out on valuable relationships, and loss of creativity leading us to realize we’re not productive, but distracted. By multi-tasking, your productivity skills decline, because you’re consistently trying to balance getting multiple tasks done.

How Do We Get More Done In a World That Is Increasingly Rushed & Demanding?

Experts advise that we need to start with taking control of our devices. While we agree that this is a good tactic, Ray Stuchly, EVP with LMI Chicago advises:

“Effective goal-setting and planning will make your life simpler, easier and better.”
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Twenty minutes of planning every day can save us up to 3 hours. Multiply that by 7 days and we have half a work-week at our disposal! According to Leadership Management International, it is helpful to know what our time is worth – not only in dollar terms but also factoring in what else we could be doing with our time that is “worth our while”. Understanding the worth of our time and setting specific goals for it will pay dividends in two ways:

1. Greater productivity in the same number of hours – getting more done in the same amount of time.
2. The same productivity in fewer hours – getting work done quicker, leaving you free to do the things you love!

While many of us set goals, either personally or professionally, we’re often surprised when we look back and realize we haven’t achieved what we set out to do. In LMI Chicago’s experience, we have seen clients often fail to achieve their goals because they don’t have a clear roadmap that gets us from where they are to where they want to be. That roadmap is, of course, our plan.

Not sure where to start? Bring your enthusiasm and desire to LMI’s Effective Personal Productivity Program, and we’ll provide the tools and processes for you to set goals and ACHIEVE them!
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If you’re not sure what your organization needs to improve personal productivity and leadership skills, contact LMI Chicago today and find out how LMI can help your organization.