Scan any help wanted listing these days
and you will find the almost universal plea for a high energy,
self-starting multitasker. This, more than any other skill, seems to
be the most coveted trait for job candidates. People even like to
brag that they are accomplished multitaskers and love nothing more
than doing several jobs at once.
Bullshit.
There's no such thing. We only have one
brain, one set of eyes that work together, and a pair of hands-- one
of which is usually dominant. To do any thing worthwhile, to do
anything with care and precision, we need to focus on it exclusively.
One thing at a time. I don’t care if you are filing papers,
stocking cans and or splitting atoms. You can only focus on one thing
at a time.
It's possible, of course, to get a
great many things done in a day. But the fastest, easiest way to do
that is to take every job one at a time. Devote your entire energy
and concentration into that one task, complete it with care and
precision and move on to the next.
Employers who insist that their people
be multitaskers are simply saying they are going to expect you to do
the work of three people—and throw a lot of distractions in your
way. It's impossible. Maybe we can get more done than the average
person, but no one can do the work of three people for any length of
time. Not only is it unfair but it will quickly wear you down
physically and mentally. By taking on more than we can possibly do,
we're setting ourselves up for stress, failure and self-loathing.
Companies are still on a huge
labor-cutting kick. They are still trying a squeeze a few more
pennies of profit out of the bottom line for the shareholders.
Meanwhile, the work itself is deteriorating. By giving us more than
we can do and throwing distractions at us constantly, they are only
limiting production and reducing quality. The more times I have to
answer the phone or answer the buzzer or answer the intercom while
cutting steaks, the longer its going to take me to finish the job.
The more paperwork I'm given to document the work I just did, the
longer it's going to take me to get to the next task. That isn't
multitasking. It's distraction and inefficiency. And it isn't fun. Or
rewarding in any sense of the word. Sorry, I am not a multitasker in
any sense of the word. And proud of it.
I'm still waiting for the want ad that
reads, “Seeking hard-worker capable of focus, concentration and
pride in craftsmanship.”
Right. It'll be there with the one the
reads “Full time, full benefits and free beer.”
