Scientists say juggling e-mail, phone calls and other incoming information can change how people think and behave. They say our ability to focus is being undermined by bursts of information.
These play to a primitive impulse to respond to immediate opportunities and threats. The stimulation provokes excitement — a dopamine squirt — that researchers say can be addictive. In its absence, people feel bored.
The article goes on to say:
While many people say multitasking makes them more productive, research shows otherwise. Heavy multi-taskers actually have more trouble focusing and shutting out irrelevant information, scientists say, and they experience more stress.
And scientists are discovering that even after the multitasking ends, fractured thinking and lack of focus persist. In other words, this is also your brain off computers.
Dan Pink, in his presentation at RSA (a TED-like event in England), tells (and shows) us that bonuses work for mechanical tasks, but if you want people to think, monetary rewards don’t work. Enjoy!
“Workers distracted by email and phone calls suffer a fall in IQ more than twice that found in marijuana smokers.”
The BBC reports the above result of a study by the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London. It goes on to quote Dr. Glenn Wilson, author of the study:
“Those who are constantly breaking away from tasks to react to email or text messages suffer similar effects on the mind as losing a night’s sleep.”
Here’s a similar report published by Daily Mail in August 2009:
Scientists are discovering that today’s mania for cramming everything in at once is creating a perilous cocktail of brain problems, from severe stress and rage in adults to learning problems and autism-like behaviour in children.
It also, ironically, often makes us less efficient. Advances in medical-scanning technology mean we can now watch what happens in the brain when people try to perform more than one complex task at a time. And the news isn’t good.
The human brain doesn’t multi-task like an expert juggler; it switches frantically between tasks like a bad amateur plate-spinner.
The constant effort this requires means that doing even just two or three things at once puts far more demand on our brains compared with if we did them one after another.
There you have it. Multitasking is NOT efficient, and it could explain why you’re getting the munchies…
Here’s a great presentation that involves the audience with great body language and sound… actually, the pentatonic scale… and Bobby McFerrin… Enjoy it, and remember we need more play… more creativity… and a sense of humor!
Having spent my "formative years" at Accenture, I developed an affinity for the Tiger Woods advertising (even though my last round of golf was humiliating). Anyway, all Tiger-related ads always caught my eye, including Gatorade, American Express, and EA Sports.
One of Mr. Woods’ remaining sponsors, Nike, aired this ad during the Masters. The voice over is Tiger’s father saying:
"Tiger, I am more prone to be inquisitive, to promote discussion. I want to find out what your thinking was. I want to find out what your feelings are. And did you learn anything?"
From a "comms" perspective, I think it is direct and simple. It seems to frame the controversy and imply that "we" (sponsors? fans?) are ready to move on…
"Pay is falling, benefits are vanishing, and no one’s job is secure. How companies are making the era of the temp more than temporary."
I am not sure these trends are going to change any time soon. What can we as "disposable workers" do to acclimate to this new reality? What can companies do to work with "temps" more effectively?
I enjoyed this New York Times article featuring Xerox CEO Ursula Burns. It describes her leadership skills, as well as her career (and passion) for Xerox. Enjoy!
Some simple tips from Sologig that are quite compelling on a Friday…
Sologig Quick Tip: Knowing when to disconnect
If you get home from the office, or if you work from home and have a difficult time winding down, try the following:
When you’re not at work, don’t work: if you receive your work e-mails on your phone, don’t respond outside of normal working hours unless absolutely necessary.
Take a break: if you’re constantly worrying about work when you’re not at work, take a break! The same issues you’re thinking about at home will still be at the office the next day.
Remember "you:" While being passionate about your work is a wonderful thing, don’t forget your other non-work related passions: for example, cooking, traveling, and reading.
Achieving the right work-life balance is in your hands and once you find it, both your professional and personal life will be much more enjoyable.
Many of us have grand aspirations for 2010… now how do we begin to achieve them? Where do we start?
One of my mentors has an uncanny ability to break his goals into "bite-sized chunks" that are manageable. He then systematically completes each task. I’ve watched him for a couple years now take large, seemingly unreachable goals; break ‘em down into smaller increments; and "git ‘em" done!
Reminds me of this commercial by Michael Jordan. Many of us focused on his on-court heroics and didn’t fully appreciate his persistence in accomplishing many smaller goals.
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