Is Multitasking the Enemy of Success?

Some people say that multitasking is a must-have skill when it comes to looking for a job. Multitasking is considered productive when you answer an email, order coffee, have a meeting, fix a problem and all of this while also meet your work target and exceed expectations. Some CEO’s go so far that they even proclaim that without multitasking, everything else is an illusion.

Looking on the other side of this debate, others view multitasking as an enemy, and a wise leader should banish multitasking and allow their management team to focus on operational priorities that will nurture growth and sustainability. This point of view is like a dream for a multitasker. However, how can you avoid being a victim of multitasking?

Focus on the Priority

In order not to be a multitasker is to focus on your number one priority and build achievement sequentially. Building sequentially related to building one step at a time in a logical order to maximize results. Focusing on more than one goal at a time will bring results similar to the falcon who is trying to catch two field mice at the same time and travel at the speed of 390km/h. This will result in going home hungry.

To the multitasker, the concept of one step at a time might be alien, but it is frequently reflected in the “okay, regular, and forever average” results that are achieved. However, when it comes to achievements, to achieve them you need to identify your top priority and identifying sequences of events that will ensure that you will reach your goal. It is easier to achieve greatness by breaking down your top priority into smaller, more actionable steps.

The road to success can be bumpy, and it can be easy to lose focus. That is why it is important to counterbalance the bumps and remain on track. For example, in project management, the ultimate project objectives are revisited on a frequent basis. This revision will help the project remain aligned with expectations. A great leader knows all about the bumpy road to greatness but keeps the multitaskers at bay by adapting priorities and making sure that each step taken is sharp, focused, and leaning towards the number one priority.

Don’t Be Alone

In every business, teamwork is essential and it will help you reach your ultimate goal. A common mistake of the multitasker is they want to claim glory for themselves by doing everything at the same time. Besides, this type of phenomenon is not pretty and it rarely leads to success.

Nobody is self-made, and all successful people had someone behind them who guided them, either a friend or coach who pushed the athlete to the limit. For example, if you are a slot manager and you want to work on moving half of your slots around the floor, you need you to have to coordinate with electricians, IT techs, slot techs, security, suppliers, and the list goes on. The focus here is the same, to create a more productive slots floor using the one step at a time to delegate tasks, which is essential if you want to have more time to focus on managing a coordinated effort to increase your chances of success.

Use Your Time Wisely

Some bosses use the word “big” as much as possible when it comes to projecting success, either by saying “big plans”, “big benefits” etc. These words are enough to send a multitasker into overdrive and force others to run for the hills rather than step outside of the comfort zone. A great leader looks at the big, embraces it, and uses it to their advantage.

Besides, we all have the same amount of time in the day, so the more you concentrate on what you can do right now to help achieve your number one goal, the you are more likely to achieve it. To achieve the greatness it is important to drown out the noise and concentrate on what is important. Use your time wisely; start taking action and greatness will become your new best friend.

Another thing that helps at achieving success is by asking the right question. The multitasker might speculate, by asking thousands of random questions, mostly irrelevant ones. However, this leads to more clutter. The right kind of question might be similar to “what should I priorities in order to increase productivity in such a way that I will add more value to customer experience?”

By asking the right question, you will have a vision of what the big picture might look like, and then you can establish well-defined goals. This is the first step towards building a solid foundation for success. By drilling it down to what is necessary, you will become more productive and ready to start building in the right direction and add value to the customer experience.

Use Purpose, Priority, and Productivity

Many businesses focus on productivity without giving any thoughts to purpose and priority. The largest driver behind success is the purpose and we all have it. Just like the falcon who has the purpose to eat in order to survive, and in order to survive you have to set up your priorities, which also includes saying no. If you do not set up your priorities, you will not be productive or reaching your target.

For example, you have a typical slots machine where you have to make a choice in changing the power supply and diplomatically telling your boss that he will have to wait for his urgent meeting regarding the AV setup for the office party, which is still 3 months away. Purpose, productivity, and priority are the foundations of success. If you neglect one of them and you will rather multitask, your goals will be harder to reach because if you do multitasking, your goals will become like a fishing boat with multiple holes and expect it to never sink.

Success is an illusion to many; however, if you ask the right question, block out the noise and focus on your number one priority, success will no longer be a myth. Even the multitasker will find satisfaction in building extraordinary results if one step at a time is chosen.