Newsletter: The Myth (??) of Multitasking
Ticonderoga Learning & Talent Newsletter
What's in this Newsletter?
Jobs & Talent
The Myth (?) of Multitasking
Professional & Personal Updates
Jobs & Talent:
Jobs:
A colleague at the Federal Reserve in NYC is hiring for a few roles:
Talent Searching for a Home:
Early-career* professional in the NYC-area is looking for a job in credit card marketing/corporate partnerships. (*He's an Olympic-level athlete transitioning away from his full-time career as a professional runner.) He has a BA from Columbia and an MA in marketing from UT-Austin.
Outstanding talent seeking to return to a larger tech organization in Strategy & Ops or Chief of Staff type role. After over a decade first at IBM and then at Google, she's opted for a start-up job to learn that trade and is ready to bring that experience back to larger organizations. She has stellar experience leading the "rhythm of the business" (goal-setting, product and business reviews, resource planning, internal comms, process improvement, etc.) and adapting to change. Location flexible.
Tenured CTO looking for a new home with an organization whose leadership more closely matches their personal values. Experience leading large (60+ person) infrastructure and technology teams at major organizations like Cisco, Amgen, etc. Open to all locations.
Message me if any of this strikes a chord...
The Myth of Multitasking
In one of my first jobs, I had a boss who said "we need to be able to walk and chew gum at the same time." My reaction was.... that doesn't sound hard at all.
If you Google "Multitasking Myth" you'll find that beginning about a decade ago, multitasking had its 15 minutes of fame when researchers designed experiments to see how well we can multitask. The result was prescriptive: We are not good at simultaneously engaging at multiple conscious cognitive behaviors. Some studies even discovered that attempts to do so negatively impact our brain's grey matter.
Neurologically speaking, we're not truly multitasking - we're simul-tasking/multi-switching/many-tasking (okay, I made the last one up, but I like it).
But on some fundamental level, we know this isn't entirely correct. Certainly, you've chomped down on some Juicy Fruit while meandering down the busy street, carrying on a conversation with a friend. You've taken an important conference call via bluetooth from your car while navigating traffic. Heck, as you're reading this, you're breathing and reading at the same time! Amazing!
There's an obvious difference with my examples above: I'm talking about multitasking that involves at least some (if not all) automated activities. You don't have to think to chew gum or to walk.
If it sounds like I'm making a semantic argument - offering a different definition of multitasking - that's a fair criticism. But what I find more interesting is when we simultaneously engage in conscious and automated behaviors.
Picture this: You're driving down the highway while on a hands-free call. You're speaking (slightly too loudly...) into your car's bluetooth when suddenly, several cars maneuver in front of you in an odd manner. In order to take appropriate action as the driver, your brain switches off driver-autopilot and more actively engages with driving the car. For those few seconds, your speech slows or comes to a halt. When you overcome the odd behaviors of those drivers (typical "INSERT STATE HERE!" drivers!), your conscious attention shifts back to your call. "Sorry about that, everyone, I had to focus on the road for a moment."
Now, imagine a NASCAR driver in the same situation. They've encountered that exact driving scenario thousands of times probably wouldn't have missed a beat in the conversation. Why? They would't need to switch from autopilot to manual.
So what does this mean for you?
In trying to be productive, first identify which behaviors are truly automated for you. If you can listen in on that Monday all-hands meeting without paying (almost) any conscious attention, then feel free to respond to important emails while you're dialed in. If you're not a confident driver, don't take a call while driving through the unpredictable streets of New York City (if you're in the middle of Kansas, you're probably fine, unless you have Sprint...).
The takeaway: Don't automate your selection of which activities to "multitask". Make that a conscious, cognitive choice based on your individual capabilities.
Professional & Personal News
Charlotte is 14 months old and a full-blown toddler. She likes reading to herself, attacking the dog, and getting up and running into another room the exact moment that dad sits down on the floor next to her. Thanks to vaccines being available to childcare professionals, she's slated to start daycare in March - almost one full year to the day after we originally planned to enroll her. I am looking forward to the growth she'll experience and all the extra time I'll have to work... but I will miss her every-moment-presence dearly.
I'm thinking of hosting a virtual open-cohort of the Extreme Presentation course later this spring. It would likely be two sessions of 2.5 hours each. Let me know if you're interested in attending!
That's it for this edition - please reach out if I can be at all helpful.
Stay safe, stay inside. Be compassionate and intentional.