Multi-tasking demystified: Part 2 of 2
In Part 1 of Multi-tasking Demystified we looked at how Table Top analysis prompts us to answer why we are doing what we are doing at any given moment. Now, let us take a step further and look at how we can multi-task and still make conflict free decisions in business and in life.
Successful entrepreneurs do not stop with taking the first step towards starting a business. They spend countless hours thinking FOR the business. Very often, starting a business is the easiest part. It is the actual operations, the nuts and bolts of running the business which consume all the time, energy, and attention.
Continuing with the table top analysis from Part 1, after I cleansed my table top, I realized that whatever remained on it was there because I wanted it to be there. Naturally it made sense to only keep the things that I wanted (or had) to take action. It also became clear that effective decision making had to involve a two step process. I will illustrate these two steps with an example.
Let us assume that we are faced with a investment decision, say to invest money in the stock of a particular company. The first step is to Stretch our Intellect to the maximum. For example, we may want to decide on the risks we are willing to take with the investment, and then ascertain whether the potential rewards from the investment would be commensurate with the risks. Depending on our risk appetite, we will also need to make sure that we have a comfortable margin of safety on the investment. We will have to evaluate, analyze, and arrive at a broad spectrum of situations that could follow after our decision to invest. Such situations will not only be related to the final outcomes of the investment but all possible situations that we may face during the life span of the investment. For example, an investment in the stock of Apple Inc. cannot be limited to just evaluating the financials and projected cash flow of the business. Among many other things, we will also have to consider issues such as the correlation of the stock price to the health of its charismatic CEO, Steve Jobs!
Now for the Second step, we need to realize that at some point, we will reach our ‘Stretch limit’. There will always be some situations with regard to the investment that we cannot fully visualize, comprehend, or plan for. We can move forward with a decision to invest only if we are willing to shoulder the responsibility for the decision regardless of the final outcome, be it positive or negative. This requires having the courage to face whatever it is that we could not envision.
Following the two steps outlined above may sound overwhelming at this point, but it is not so in reality. The two step process brings a much needed discipline and highly aids effective decision making. I have also experienced that whenever I go through these two steps, regardless of the final outcome, there is no room for over the top elation or causeless suffering. Any investment decision, in business or in life, will over time get labeled as an act of brilliance, a major disaster, or rank somewhere in between. However, if decisions are done with awareness, stretching the intellect to the maximum, and with the courage to face the outcomes, then we have no reason to brood or suffer.
Multi-tasking now becomes a simple matter of focusing our energy on one task on the table top that merits attention at that time. When it becomes necessary to attend to another task on the table-top, we simply re-direct our focus and attention to it. The key to remember is that whatever we have on our table top is our conscious choice and therefore a responsibility we took up. And the more we are able to carry on our table top, the more responsibility we are capable and willing to shoulder.
A CEO who functions this way starts to exhibit a Zen like calm in his decision making, coupled with a ferocious resolve to face any eventuality. He knows that he does not have all the answers but he is confident in his decision making skills. He is intense in his pursuit, yet willing to adapt as situations unfold. Above all, he is courageous to face the future. Over time, his simplest acts get deemed as visionary and he is heralded as a leader par excellence!
Wonderful. Was waiting to see what you had to say for this part II. Actually I really understand how multi tasking is not only the way to do things. It could be my very life and then whenever I get involve can grow. I love practicing new technique to get better and better at this. Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful two part article. A very unique aspect to the issue of multi-tasking. Thanks for sharing your insights and experiences.
Awesome! I really benefited from this.
Very simple and easy to understand. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing this. It is really useful in daily life immediately.
What it mentioned in the article is really helpful for myself, and i believe it would be as helpful for many more people who are taking multi tasks in current competitive businessworld.
This is very useful for my new job at GE. I can really apply this everyday.
cool stuff. nice to hear that you started this. keep me posted.
I agree. Very interesting articles.
Very well written and useful for everyone. I am personally going to try this out and will share my experience later.
Multi-tasking does indeed need to be demystified. Otherwise people will think it is impossible to do effectively. Thanks for the right advice.
This is so much true. More than management, it has applications in daily life itself.
This concept sounds good. But often I have problem in implementing. I do what you say in part I and then I do as I do everyday. I loose that efficiency. The conscious decision doesnt help. Second about stretching the limits, I do always but still sometime I fell down with that concept and then it doesnt give me courage to do this. Overall my problem is I can understand this very well and know that this could be the great solution but not able to implement. Could you please say something about that?
Jeff
I think Vidya answered your question very well below. I just wanted to add that my intensity to make this happen is also important. Everything that cant be applied is good only in theory. Start simple and do one thing at time and dont make long term plans. Just plan for each day.
I think the article on intensity posted in this blog is also a good one to read along with this article. Check it out in the archives section.
You can access the article on intensity at http://1800ceoblog.com/management-leadership/hallmark_of_a_leader/
I will post some of the things I do on a daily basis. Hopefully that will help.
The way I understood is that we cant really do more than one thing at a time, even if we want to. So if we stay focused on doing the one thing we should be focusing on, and move to next thing only when required, then we will be successful in multi-tasking.
I agree totally with you. It is very important that we follow the simple things that are foundation of blissful living.
It is very useful and practical. Simply observing our desks can tell us so much business intelligence!!
I believe not just observing desk, observing what we do brings this clarity. I started testing this one week ago after reading and it is working wonders. My desk is clear, my mind is clear, and my work schedule shows signs of coming under control! Thanks so much, Raj!
Raj,
Can you post something on time-management? Since it may answer some questions here about how to apply some easy to do things to life.
Will post some of my quick tips this weekend. Thanks for asking!
Thanks for sharing.
Coincidentally, I’ve been contemplating the idea of multi-tasking and getting pulled off track at work. A few week’s back I was talking with Suma about the stresses at work and realized that with all the emails, phone calls, meetings, drop-bys, and IMs happening in a day, I wasn’t able to stay focused on one thing long enough to get it done well. I used the word “Hopping” to put a name to the condition and since then, this awareness alone, that I’m “hopping”, has helped me stay more focused and not get so easily distracted.
Keep up the great posts and innovative insights. Now that I have seen your posts, I am working on how to multi-task and deciding on things that I should NOT be doing and clean my desktop.
So easy to follow. Thanks!
simple to implement with great results.
I keep coming back and re-reading this one. Everytime I get something new to work on. One of the best articles on the web.
a very original way to explain things. thanks