You are a PM and On a conference call but at same time you are checking and reading emails- Do you think it is embarrassing to ask the other on the phone to repeat.
Or some one talking to you in your office and you're typing email at same time.
I think it can not be done with 100% focus on both tasks - one has to suffer Saving Changes...
Dinah, thanks for your input and sometimes we blame why projects fail do we really give the right full attention and concentration. Saving Changes...
Eric SimmsSenior Program ManagerBaltimore, Maryland, United States
It is possible to successfully multitask without any particular task suffering, but only if each individual task can be successfully accomplished with the reduced attention you allot to it. Multitasking is usually impossible to do as Project Managers de to the concentration our tasks require, but we multitask all the time in other areas of our life. An example would be conversing with someone as you wash dishes.
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1 reply by Riyadh Salih
May 04, 2018 10:58 PM
Riyadh Salih
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Eric, sorry I can't see that as multi task because you wash dishes and chat or you drive changing gears and chat that's all comes from reflexes without thinking.
We are talking about two tasks where each one needs full attention / focus and decision making
It is possible to successfully multitask without any particular task suffering, but only if each individual task can be successfully accomplished with the reduced attention you allot to it. Multitasking is usually impossible to do as Project Managers de to the concentration our tasks require, but we multitask all the time in other areas of our life. An example would be conversing with someone as you wash dishes.
Eric, sorry I can't see that as multi task because you wash dishes and chat or you drive changing gears and chat that's all comes from reflexes without thinking.
We are talking about two tasks where each one needs full attention / focus and decision making Saving Changes...
Our brains multi-task all the time. It's a matter of prioritizing. If in your example, you are talking on the phone to your partner about what style of pizza you will eat that night, and the pizza turns out Hawaiin when in fact you wanted vegetarian, well the earth will still survive. But if it is talking to a customer and you mix up the message which ruins the project, then it would have paid to stay focused on that phone call and totally drop the email view.
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1 reply by Riyadh Salih
May 05, 2018 12:02 PM
Riyadh Salih
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Sante, that's where you get into trouble with your partner LOL she says you're not paying enough attention to me - your project is more important than me. :)
Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
There is certainly a degree of context here. In the context that Riyadh is laying as the foundation for the discussion, I would say that I agree. One will suffer.
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1 reply by Riyadh Salih
May 05, 2018 12:03 PM
Riyadh Salih
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Andrew thanks for your comment
Saving Changes...
George LewisProgram/Project Manager| DXC Technology CompanyHeredia, Costa Rica
Yes, if there are periods of time when some task has zero activity, but then that contradicts the term.
Depends on the nature of the call and who you're speaking with.
If the caller is priority, I'd simply stop writing the email or what I am doing and provide them with my full attention.
If the person on the phone is not so much a priority, but the email message I am in the middle of is, I would simply place them on a brief hold or ask to kindly call them back. This will give me the focus needed to finish my message and ensure I am clear with my objective.
As for a conference call, there should be no other distractions - Just your undivided attention to discuss the objective of the call with a pen and pad. There should be no checking of emails or doing other things. IMO, that's setting yourself up for failure on your part. Information might be missed, the objective might get lost, or nothing was clearly communicated.
The purpose of a conference call is to discuss a specific objective(s) at a specific start and finish time to complete.
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1 reply by Riyadh Salih
May 05, 2018 12:06 PM
Riyadh Salih
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Michael, it is true we need to focus with full attention on the conference call with so many key stakeholders online
Saving Changes...
Andy KaufmanHost| People and Projects PodcastLake Zurich, Il, United States
The evidence against the effectiveness of multitasking is mounting and compelling. But it is so difficult to stop doing.... This article shares a helpful perspective for me. I'd say more but I have to get back to my conference call :)
Our brains multi-task all the time. It's a matter of prioritizing. If in your example, you are talking on the phone to your partner about what style of pizza you will eat that night, and the pizza turns out Hawaiin when in fact you wanted vegetarian, well the earth will still survive. But if it is talking to a customer and you mix up the message which ruins the project, then it would have paid to stay focused on that phone call and totally drop the email view.
Sante, that's where you get into trouble with your partner LOL she says you're not paying enough attention to me - your project is more important than me. :)
