Nearly all employees deal with tasks that require divided attention. This is especially applicable to administrative assistants, reception professionals, clerical workers, systems administrators, tech support, salespeople, logistics professionals, and other positions in which the worker has to be highly responsive to the needs and requests of other people and/or systems. They don’t always have the choice of NOT “multi-tasking”. They may prefer to complete the task at hand before moving on to another but the choice simply is not an option.

Here are some methods I cover in the live workshops and the online Attention To Detail Training courses you can use to maximize your performance in tasks that require divided attention (aka “multi-tasking” or task switching).

Assuming you have the required knowledge and training needed to perform the tasks well (i.e. you know what you’re doing) then you should be able to maximize your performance by improving your ability to focus and by using simple systems.

Let’s start with focus

It’s a huge topic so I’ll stick to two points:

• Meditation, which directly improves focus, and
• Working memory because that will improve your ability to minimize the “what was I doing” moment when you return to the initial task

Note: I’m keeping this short. Please forgive the brevity but there are a lot of complex topics tied up in here.

Meditation: Learn and practice it. Keep it simple and short. Do not get frustrated when you first try and can’t stay focused for more than 20 seconds (no one can). Your mind will wander away to little random thoughts. The point is to get better at focusing your attention on what you want it focused on. It’s also great for stress and overall productivity.

Working Memory: This is like a computer’s RAM. It’s the ability to hold on to information while completing another task and access that information when you get back to the task. Play chess, memory, or learn to solve a Rubick’s cube.

Again, the point of improving working memory is to minimize that “what was a doing” moment.

And that brings us to systems

If the tasks you work on are repetitive then use something like a checklist of the steps so you can check them off as they are completed. When your attention is aimed at something else and then you return to the initial task, the checklist will help confirm which step you’re on and what you’re doing. I use Google’s Keep Notes all the time.

Another “system” could be something as simple as sticky notes or little flags (like the ones that say ‘sign here’ and stick to documents). When you need to turn your attention to something else, leave the sticky note with a comment or pointed at your last spot.

The right system can assist, automate, or even replace the need for having to think so hard — which means you’ve got mental resources available for improved performance.

Divided attention is a real thing. Some people are able to minimize it to relative zero but it’s “just part of the job” for millions of others. I hope this helps.

Originally published on my blog July 29, 2019.