If you thought you already had too much to do without adding additional tasks to your working day, you may be wrong - there are situations where you can multi-task effectively. Here are some you may not have though of...
Although there is an old joke that women can multi-task better than men, the truth is that we're all capable of incorporating the skill of multi-tasking in our working day, and our time management will improve as a result.
You may already think 'but I've already got enough on my plate without adding to my tasks!' This may be true, but the art of multi-tasking is simply doing another task at the same time as the one you're already working on, so rather than adding to your tasks, you are just making them more productive. Here are three examples of how you could do this at work.
1. Make phone time multi-tasking time
If you use the telephone a lot in your job, then you can recognise the times when you're either on hold, waiting for a call back from someone before you can carry on with the task in hand, or hitting redial while you wait for the busy or engaged tone to stop.
These are all opportunities to multi-task, especially if you have the kind of setup where you happen to be sat in front of your PC for the duration of most of your calls. Invest in a one-ear headset (or ask your boss to), and then your hands are freed up to work on the computer, check your inbox, or make notes about other tasks you have to do.
If you're normally pacing around with a handset rather than at a desk, put it on loudspeaker and do some other work to the tune of the hold music. You'll get more done, and fill much more time.
2. Moving around the office
It's good to take screen breaks and sometimes it can be beneficial to move around the office - or even better, plan your movements around multiple tasks.
Going for lunch? Take that report with you to see the manager at the other end of the building near the cafeteria - it will save you making a special trip later on.
Going to drop mail in the outgoing tray? Pick up the printing you did earlier from the office hub, which these days are usually in the same place.
Off to make yourself a coffee? Re-route your path via colleagues you need to speak to, and hey - they might appreciate a drink too!
3. Make software do twice the work
Many of us spend most of our day working on a computer, yet it's common to go through one task at once. Here's where you can multi-task by letting the computer do it.
For example, if having to research something on the web, we often forget that our browser can open new tabs - so we can conduct the same search on three different sites rather than wait for one set of results before attempting another. The same can be said of office programs - if you're number crunching in Excel or printing out a lengthy report, have another program open to work on while you fill the dead time, and you'll find you're getting more productive at the PC.
Overall, it's not hard to multi-task if you consider it as filling dead time with another productive activity. We all have those 'waiting' moments where we could be also doing something else - so how will you fill yours?
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