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Friday
Jun182010

Another Assault On Multitasking

If you have ever been in one of our training programs you know that we are ardent dissenters on the net value of multitasking. In our opinion it only works when there is a singular purpose involved (like safely driving a car) or when the two tasks involved are of a different nature-one being physical and the other mental. Even then, the benefit is suspect.

Well, we have found another source that affirms our suspicions. In his HBR Blog, Peter Bregman highlights research that shows the downsides of multitasking based on research. Based on some of the research he found that:

  • People distracted by incoming calls and e mails saw a drop in their IQ of 10 points. That's a larger effect than losing a night's sleep. Twice the impact of smoking marijuana!
  • Productivity actually goes down by as much as 40%. The loss comes in what we actually do when multitasking, which is "quick switch tasking." And we lose precious time switching back and forth from one task to another.
  • The more you multitask, the worse you actually are at it. You reach a point where you are simply switching-and getting very little work done.

What I really enjoyed was his sharing of the results of going one week without multitasking. It was insightful to say the least. But you'll have to read his blog to get the full effect of his experience. This guy is truly the ringmaster of his circus-and knows that the ringmaster can not be in multiple rings at once and expect to get a standing ovation.

Monday
Jun142010

Working Yourself To Death

According to the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (as reported by CNN), people who work 10-12 hours per day are 56% more likely to develop heart disease or have a heart attack than those who work less than 10 hours. Before you discount the results, realize this: They factored out stress, personality and behaviors such as smoking.

One of the authors of the study speculates that the increase in hours leaves less time to unwind. In Juggling Elephants terms, there is little time for an intermission to relax and recharge.

While this type of study gets our attention, we shouldn't discount the short-term impact of working too many hours. It's true that jobs sometimes require an increase in hours for a short period of time-but too often we let that short period of time become too long. For me, it helps to have some warning signals that tell me I am working too many hours without a break or change in routine. They include:

  • Eating lunch at my desk more than once every two weeks.
  • Skipping my personal time (reading, devotion, etc.) in the morning.
  • Trying to convince myself I don't have time to exercise.
  • Failure to have at least 2-3 good laughs per day-because I am too hyperfocused on work.
  • Just going through the motions at work and not really focusing on how to best accomplish the tasks.
  • When I have no creative energy.
  • Being irritable or on a "short fuse" with family and friends.

You might want to make your own list-before some major health problem FORCES you to change behavior.

Friday
Jun112010

Working Effectively with Others

I recently read the book, Leadership and Self Deception, Getting Out of the Box, by The Arbinger Institute as a result of a recommendation from a good friend of mine. I am "passing on" the recommendation because I found it to be a excellent book.

It is written in a story format like Juggling Elephants. The overall concept of the book deals with, as we say in Juggling Elephants, that the "relationship between the ringmaster and the performers affects the success of the circus." Leadership and Self Deception gives great insights on how to improve both your personal and professional relationships. Check it out, you will be glad that you did.

Tuesday
Jun082010

A Little Humor Goes A Long Way

I was recently working from my home office. To put things bluntly, it had been a rather intense and challenging day. I was frustrated, my brain hurt and I was feeling overwhelmed. My office door slowly opened and my teenage daughter poked her head in quietly having just returned home from school. Seeing that I wasn't on the phone, she gave me a big smile and said, "Hi Dad!" The first layer of stress and frustration lifted thanks to her smile. I invited her in and we talked about her day. After a quick run down, she pulled out of her pocket a piece of Laffy Taffy and said, "I have a joke for you. Why did the spider cross the road?" I did not know why the spider crossed the road so she said, "To get to it's website."

OK, it was one of those jokes that makes you groan but for me, with the day I had had, I started to smile and laugh. It was just what I needed. In Juggling Elephants we say, "People sometimes need to laugh, relax, and not take themselves so seriously."

If you are finding yourself hitting the wall (literally or figuratively), having a bad day, frustrated and so on...maybe it is time for a mini intermission. Go for a walk, stretch, or call someone and just talk about the weather. Worse case, have a supply of Laffy Taffy, sit back, enjoy the sugar and a joke or two. It can make a difference in your day.

While you are at it, consider others that you work with and that they too may need a "pick me up" or a break every once in awhile. A good joke can go a long way...even if it is a groaner.

Wednesday
Jun022010

Training Tips From Clowns

Susan Landay is the President of Trainer's Warehouse and visited with us at the ASTD Exposition a few weeks ago. Part of Susan's background is that she was a real clown with Ringling Brothers! She has written a superb and practical article for all of us involved with training entitled, Training Circus. She goes indepth on the following key thoughts:

  • KISS-Keep It Simple Stupid
  • Make it BIG
  • Get in, get the laugh, get out
  • Relax and let it happen
  • Laugh at yourself

Thanks, Susan!