The simple rule is that when you practice, you actually get better. But when it comes to multitasking (or technically, task-switching) we find the exception to the rule.

The accepted wisdom is that as we have become accustomed to the information age and the influx, overload and immediacy of this information, we have developed skills to cope effectively. We are becoming better at managing a number of separate tasks all at once, with more efficiency, controlling our attention between multiple activities.

This is wrong.

New research shows that people who are heavy multitaskers don’t actually get bet at multitasking, but they do get better at something – getting distracted. Heavy multitaskers are prone to getting more distracted by irrelevant information than those who don’t multitask as much.

While it seems that we’re practicing multitasking, what we’re really practicing is getting distracted. This is more evidence that we need to focus on completing one thing at any given point in time.

Here are some tips for maintaining focus:

• Be clear about the most important thing you need to do at any point in time
• Turn off your email alerts on your computer AND your phone. For those brave enough, divert your telephone if you need intense focus
• Don’t be afraid to close the door to your office for an hour or two when you really need to knuckle down
• If you work in a cubicle or open plan office, have a signal for when you’re working flat out – put your headphones in or something similar (even if you’re not playing music)
• Talk to your team about this so everyone’s on the same page

Multitasking has been proven time and again to impair productivity, increase error rate and increase time on the primary task. But still we do it and, worse, we might even expect it of our staff.

Another argument against multitasking come from neuroplasticity. It seems that we only really embed behavioural change when we focus on an activity with full attention. When we just ‘go through the motions’ and get distracted, the behavioural re-wiring is only temporary.

Stop multitasking, start focusing.

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