Posted on January 20, 2011 by Dave Crenshaw
Think you’re a good multitasker? Know someone who thinks they are? Here’s your chance to put your skills to this test! In this video, I walk you through the multitasking exercise I share in my live keynote speeches and workshops. Action Steps:
  1. Download the Multitasking Exercise example file here.http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com/multitasking-exercise.pdf
  2. In the first row, recopy the phrase Multitasking is worse than a lie. (Remember: Don’t start until Dave says "go!")
  3. In the second row, write down the numbers 1 through 27; one number for every letter in the phrase
  4. Write down your finish time off to the side.
  5. Do the exercise again but this time, for every letter that you write in the third row, you’re going to write a number in the fourth row.
  6. Write down your finish time off to the side.
Principles to Learn:
  1. When you think you are multitasking, what you’re really doing is “switchtasking”—switching back and forth rapidly between two or more tasks.
  2. There are 3 consequences of multitasking:
    1. Tasks takes longer
    2. Mistakes increase
    3. Stress levels increase
This post was sponsored by Dave Crenshaw Keynote Speeches. If you are interested in having Dave Crenshaw as a enlightening and fun speaker for your event, visit http://www.InvaluableInc.com/event
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  • http://www.tracyleejones.com Tracy Lee Jones

    Love it!! This was one of the most eye opening time management exercises I’ve ever done- and it’s so quick and to the point!! Thanks Dave!

    • http://www.InvaluableInc.com Dave Crenshaw

      Thanks, Tracy. Thank you for the work you do to help people live a healthy lifestyle.

  • Rick Pearce

    Multitasking is worse than a lie because it’s such a convincing illusion! Thanks for busting the myth!

    • http://www.InvaluableInc.com Dave Crenshaw

      You’re welcome, Rick. Keep spreading the word!

  • http://www.InvaluableInc.com Dave Crenshaw

    The irony of this post… Although my team and I had worked for weeks on preparing it, I had to prep the final email to go out to all of you in between shoots on the set. The result of my switchtasking was that I didn’t follow company systems, and the email it went out with a nice big typo.

    • Dean

      Great video. So how do I break the habit of it. One way I am working on doing that is think of the word “typewriter”. With a typewriter you only can type and focus on 1 page at a time until your done Oh, the simple days.

      • http://www.InvaluableInc.com Dave Crenshaw

        That’s an interesting idea, Dean. I think how the word association helps you think about one thing at a time.

        Really everything in my Get Time Boot Camp focuses on helping people stop switchtasking. It’s a matter of reconditioning your brain to stop wanting to make the switches. Almost everyone has systemic inefficiencies built into their day that cause them to switchtask, which tells the brain, “keep trying to do this.” By removing those inefficiencies, your tendency to switchtask will continue to drop over time.

        In my case, my switchtasking (and subsequent UGLY typo) was caused this week because I overscheduled myself…something I haven’t done for a long time. it was unrealistic of me to think I could prep the email for release in between filming sessions.

        When you pack too much in your schedule, you put yourself in a position where you’ll attempt to multitask and thereby make more mistakes, slow yourself down, and increase stress levels. All three of those happened to me yesterday. :-)

        • Mai_nomore

          good thinker makes solve problem

        • Marilyn

          The thing that has helped me the most is to write down up to 5 things I want to accomplish for the day. tasksmash.com has helped me with this, because it gives me a big gold star if I finish them all! I can always add more tasks to the daily list, but 5 is a good number to start with. Also setting a timer for 15 minutes helps me really stay focused, especially if it is a kitchen timer that ticks loudly. Last year I was putting smiley faces on my calendar when I finished my tasks. Rewards are great, even if given by yourself! Thanks, Dave, for these great ideas. I was introduced to your Invaluable book by one of my professors last semester, and I then went on to get the MultiTasking book.

          • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

            Thanks for the site suggestion Marilyn.

  • M Maclay

    Brilliant! This simple exercise could not have been better.

  • Dustin Smith

    I saved the video using RealPlayer Downloader and, ironically, the little ad that popped up at the bottom the window had the pitch, “Want to watch videos like this in your car?” ROTFL!

  • Francesco Marchionne

    I have done the exercise. thank you to clarify my mind on the damages of multitasking which I was convinced to be the best solution to do my job, but you are right on the consequences and I am gonna change my way in single tasking by tasking.
    Cheers
    Francesco

  • Lee

    Wow, almost exactly twice the time for the same output! Now to show this to my teenagers and get them off Facebook, txt, homework and games!

    • http://www.InvaluableInc.com Dave Crenshaw

      Thanks, Lee. When you talk to teenagers about it, be sure to put it in terms of their self-interest. For example: when they multitask, they miss out on having more time to play with friends, they have to repeat work and so on.

  • http://twitter.com/pivotpointdk Daniel Nielsen

    Heard, couldn’t be more true, but try and explain that to my boss :-(

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      Thanks for coming to my blog, Daniel.

      I’ve heard that story so many times, unfortunately. “My boss doesn’t get it! They want to keep multitasking.” Whenever I hear that, here and my suggestions (in order of impact):

      1) If you have an upcoming company or association event where you need a speaker, suggest me. If I can speak to the group as a whole, this creates a unified approach to stop multitasking. http://www.invaluableinc.com/event

      2) As a gift, give your boss a copy of the Myth of Multitasking. http://tinyurl.com/mythofmultitasking There are also editions in eBook, audio, Russian, German, Dutch, Italian and Korean.

      3) For a company training, print out the exercise from this page and either show this video in the meeting or do it on your own.

      I’ve seen MANY CEOs and Owners change when I help them see what multitasking is costing them and their company.

  • http://www.comfortablestructure.com Virginia

    I love this test!! I share it with all my clients and anyone else who will take the test :)

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      Great, Virginia! It’s a perfect match for your organization business. I’ve found time and organization go hand-in-hand.

  • Pingback: How multitasking damages relationships (The fourth effect) | Dave Crenshaw - Best Selling Author, Professional Speaker, Invaluable CEO CoachDave Crenshaw – Best Selling Author, Professional Speaker, Invaluable CEO Coach

  • http://www.HomeFreeHypnosis.com Aino Welch

    Wow you aren’t kidding the stress level goes up specially as you keep calling out the numbers and we passed the number from the first test… yes and love the pop-up Dustin, you must have been multitasking big time to notice that and take a picture….?

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      Welcome to the site, Aino!

      It’s even worse when we do it with truly meaningful activities, such as work or interacting with people. People have just been dealing with it so long they’re not even aware that the source of much of the stress they feel is because of their fractured attention.

  • Shankar Ooty

    Short. Neat. And BANG on target! I am sharing this with all my friends. Thanks Dave!

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      Thanks, Shankar. Please let me know how it goes with your friends. :-)

  • Mickey

    Excellent example – I knew my time would increase in task 2 but had no idea it would flat double. 30secs first / 60 seconds second. And it ‘hurt’ my brain more. Required more mental horsepower to wrangle my focus back to next micro-task. The (my) workplace enviroment is being totally self-consumed by the now, now, now ~me, me, me addiction of instant response// multitasking// or whatever other chaos that makes for an exhausting 12-14 hr day with 3 hrs (maybe) worth of actual productivity. The digital age brings new challenges on throttling back the speed of chaos in order to to go faster in the right direction. I think there is potentially a hugh market and need for your work ~ and it should as well, be focused or directed to employers/bosses/managers to encourage an enviroment of first things first, ‘just-say-no’, one at a time in a logical order etc. I especially, do not respond well to OTHER peoples’ crisis when they are in MULTI-task mode. Thanks for video

  • Savant

    multitasking is great if you have a waiting time between task1. Didn’t you consider that?

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      Absolutely. That’s why I distinguish between “switchtasking” and “background tasking” in my book. A lot of the problem with multitasking as a concept is that the word itself is flawed.

      “Switchtasking” – attempting to do multiple attention requiring tasks at the same time.
      “Background tasking” – performing a task while something mindless or mundane occurs in the background.

      Doing something else in the waiting time between tasks isn’t multitasking in the traditional sense–it’s really background tasking. When most people refer to multitasking, they’re talking about attempting to do multiple things at the same time, which is always inefficient and ineffective.

  • http://www.moretimeforyou.net Lkrolik

    Great exercise. It really gets the point across and I look forward to sharing it with my clients and workshop attendees.

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      Really glad to hear it. Looks like you have a great service you’re providing. Please share my book with your clients.http://tinyurl.com/mythofmultitasking Thanks!

      • Artezuela

        Hi Sir… I would like to ask your permission that I would like to use this Exercise in my research… and you will be acknowledged sir… thank you and Godbless

  • Amna_khlaid

    awesome

  • Artezuela

    hi sir… I would just like to ask permission if its ok with you that I will use this exercise as a research tool. You will be acknowledged in my research study sir. thank you sir and Godbless

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      Hi Artezuela (and others with similar questions)
      If you’re going to use this exercise in a printed publication, please use the contact form and submit your request: http://davecrenshaw.com/contact-me
      Because this exercise was part of my book published by Jossey-Bass, requests for reuse in publications need to go through their approval process. Thanks!

  • harvin

    Hi,
    great exercise, tried with my students. was fun

  • Bhuvismiley

    Dave its so strange for me. i completed first tasks at 30 secs and second task at 33 secs. pls explain how z same.

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      The times may be similar (albeit still slower–that is a 10% increase!), but your mistakes and stress levels would be worse the second time.

      Also, I have seen rare occasions for people who speak English as a second language get similar scores or even better the second time. Why? Because this is an unfamiliar task to them both times, and they have to slow down for both.

      In the case of non-native English speakers, a better test would be to write the numbers1-27 on the first row and then 28-54. on the second. The second time, alternate numbers, so 1->28, 2->29 and so on. The results will be more typical.

  • Robin

    yeah u r rite but ther r sm prsns in woeld they do multi tasking very well

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      LOL

  • Anonymous

    Great test. I’m going to use this example to anyone who tells me they think they can multitask! 

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      Please do. It’s really the fastest way to open people’s eyes. Thanks!

  • Zule

    I agree with the term switch tasking, since our brain does not permit us to process the multiple inputs simultaneously. It is possible to switch task effectively when performing several sequential project tasks at an interval whist switching to other tasks during wait times. Like when washing clothes and ironing clothes. One can switch between the two tasks while the washer and dryers run through their cycles. Yes it takes longer to do the ironing overall, but the wait time is used instead of watching machines run. At work I often have projects that I work several tasks; between those tasks, I must wait for someone else to complete their parts. Stopping a solo task to work a project task and return it to a wait state makes sense to me. Yes I do need to refocus on my solo task and watch both for error.

    Driving a car, as you note, does not really have wait cycles where you do not have to pay attention to traffic so you are free to safely switch tasks.

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      Hi Zule, yes I agree with you. Here is my response to “Savant”:

      Absolutely. That’s why I distinguish between “switchtasking” and “background tasking” in my book. A lot of the problem with multitasking as a concept is that the word itself is flawed.

      “Switchtasking” – attempting to do multiple attention requiring tasks at the same time.
      “Background tasking” – performing a task while something mindless or mundane occurs in the background.

      Doing something else in the waiting time between tasks isn’t multitasking in the traditional sense–it’s really background tasking. When most people refer to multitasking, they’re talking about attempting to do multiple things at the same time, which is always inefficient and ineffective.

  • newsletter@azielinski.info

    27 (single tasking) vs 30 seconds (multi tasking) for me – mostly cause I’ve had to move hand more over the paper instead of writing character by character next to each other. not that bad I guess :p

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      Not bad. Now remember that there are three more consequences of multitasking other than time increase: quality of work, stress levels, and damaged relationships. (See: http://davecrenshaw.com/multitasking-effects-on-relationships/ ) ;-)

  • Luna

    I did this test at school with a friends… The first time I had exactly the same time but the second time there was a different of 10 seconds… 

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      Thanks for sharing Luna. Sometimes people are faster at making switches than others. Just remember that time is only one of the consequences. It also increases mistakes, increases stress and damages relationships. See also: http://davecrenshaw.com/multitasking-effects-on-relationships/

  • Linnie820

    Wow Dave, thank you! I had a boss who got on my butt telling me how I should be Multitasking and that since I’ am female that it should come naturaly to me. this makes me feel better. That lady was truly miserable.

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      If anyone finds themselves in a corporate culture like this, I recommend giving your boss the gift of my book, The Myth of Multitasking:  http://tinyurl.com/mythofmultitasking 

      It was written with the purpose of converting the unconverted. :-)

  • Shawnut

    My understanding is that multitasking is task dependent.  Tasks can be either cognitive (one at a time) or associative (two or more at a time).    Walking down a sidewalk, for example, is generally an associative task, and could be combined with another associative task, such as listening to music, or talking with a friend who is walking with you.  The problem is that tasks can change from associative to cognitive.  For example, if that same sidewalk becomes icy and slick, the first thing a reasonable person does is to turn off the music or quit talking and focus on not falling.  I can easily fold clothes while talking to someone on a hands-free phone.  That kind of multitasking is ok.  What a person can’t do is to type an unrelated e-mail while also carrying on a phone conversation.  They also can’t drive and talk on the phone unless the drive is associative (steady speed, no traffic, no driving decisions required).  Cell phone use in cars by drivers should only be for emergencies, or when they’re in the middle of nowhere.

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      Astutely put, Shawnut. I agree with you, but rather than taking an academic approach, I come at the issue with the intent to help people change behavior.
      I distinguish between “switchtasking” and “background tasking” in my book. A lot of the problem with multitasking as a concept is that the word itself is flawed. I redefine the word in two ways:
      “Switchtasking” = attempting to do multiple attention-requiring tasks at the same time.”Background tasking” = performing a task while something mindless or mundane occurs in the background.
      Doing something else in the waiting time between tasks, or when you have an automatic behavior, isn’t multitasking in the traditional sense–it’s really background tasking. 
      The problem is, when most people refer to multitasking, they’re talking about attempting to do multiple things at the same time, which is always inefficient and ineffective.

  • Steven Parinussa

    Thank you very much, Dave!

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      You’re welcome, Steven.

  • Oak

    Dave, what do you think of people who multitask so that the background
    activity is what they say they can concentrate on better? For example,
    some of my family members like to work on a puzzle or draw while
    listening to General Conference which tends to make me think they’re not
    getting everything out of conference that they could if they were just
    attentively listening. Do I need to lighten up or is this switchtasking?

    • http://www.DaveCrenshaw.com Dave Crenshaw

      Hi, Oak
      During the presentation you attended live, I emphasized that I don’t tell people what to do, but instead teach principles and some suggested systems and then let you decide how to apply them.In the case of your family, I would do the same. Do the exercise on this page. Teach them the myth of multitasking. Teach them how to identify switchtasking vs background tasking, in particular the four consequences of switchtasking. Then let them decide for themselves. :-) Thanks for the question!