Dave Crenshaw is one of the top course producers on the LinkedIn Learning platform. His expertise: productive leadership. Through online courses, live speaking events and consulting, Crenshaw strives to help leaders become more productive - including tips for effective time-management. He joined Negotiate Anything to discuss the fallacy of multitasking as well as tools and tips for leveraging focus for better business and relationships.

The Multitasking Myth

While some might question its role in effective negotiations, Crenshaw argues that multitasking can have costly effects on our most important conversations. He explains that not only does multitasking actually eat up more time (a precious commodity in successful negotiations), it leads to more mistakes, increases stress and can damage the quality of our relationships.

In reminding listeners that the term originated in technology, he compares our minds to a computer with dozens of programs and browsers open at the same time. Eventually, things will begin to slow down.

“The brain has these same limitations put upon us. It can only do one active task at a time,” Crenshaw shared. “When you try to do multiple things at the same time you aren’t really multitasking, you are switchtasking.”

In essence, your brain is maximizing productivity by working on multiple things at once, it’s simply switching back and forth from task to task - arguably delaying completion of any one item.

The Effect of Switch-Tasking on Relationships

In addition to wasting time and increasing stress, Crenshaw believes that switchtasking can also have a harmful effect on our most valued relationships.

“One of the biggest costs of switchtasking is what it does to the interactions we have with human beings,” he said.

He shares that while we would never blatantly call somebody unimportant to their face, our behavior in conversations can communicate this same message.

Crenshaw explained, “Every time you give partial attention to someone else, you are communicating to them that they are less important than whatever it is you are doing at the time.”

People can often sense when their conversation partner isn’t fully tuned in. In business, this can jeopardize the future of a working relationship. In our personal lives, this can hurt the people we love and value the most.

Tips for Improving Focus

To help with focus, Crenshaw recommends eliminating distractions where possible, starting with the five senses. When going into a conversation, he encourages people to eliminate distracting sights (particularly items with words), sounds and smells. For touch, he urges people to consider the ergonomics of the seating available. In terms of taste, he recommends being mindful of what snacks are available (and avoiding those that could be more distracting to eat or obtain).

Equally important, is eliminating mental distractions.

“Your mind has so much influence on your ability to be productive and we want that thing to be cleared out,” he shared. “I don’t want any unresolved tasks in my head.”

To do this, Crenshaw suggests taking time (prior to the conversation) to add other important items to your notes app or calendar. This helps your mind to know they are organized and handled, reducing the possibility that you will become occupied with worrying about other tasks during the conversation.

He also recommends building in breaks throughout the day: 60 second windows to do nothing but breathe.

“The problem of our day is that we operate on a razor’s edge,” he explained. “Everything that we do is just stacked back to back to back. We are conditioning our brain to just walk this line that is so tight and so dangerous and more often than not we get cut.”

Finally, he encouraged listeners to begin by practicing these tactics with family and friends first. If you can get into the habit of paying closer attention to them, it will be easier to implement at work.

“[Technology] has evolved rapidly, but we as humans have not,” he noted. “So that means we have to learn a new set of survival skills.”

 

Forbes