‘The Myth of Multi-tasking’ by Helen Kirwan-Taylor, Management Today, November 2009

This article may not be as directly connected with learning as the other reviews but it does cover a topic that is becoming an increasing issue for everyone involved in business - how do you cope with the modern trend for multi-tasking, enhanced by the widespread use of Blackberries and iPhones? This has a specific relevance to those running courses because there is a need for a prepared response to the increasing problem of participants wanting to use their communication devices during course sessions.


In fact the conclusions of the article give some ammunition to those who apply - or try to apply - an absolute ban during courses; the evidence is that the multi-tasker is generally less effective overall than those who have the discipline to focus on one task at a time. This evidence comes from some rigorous research by Stanford University, though it has to be accepted that the selected group was students rather than experienced people.

It seems that the person who is checking messages on his or her Blackberry during a meeting might as well not be there and is probably preparing a reply that has not been fully thought through. The reply may be an hour or two earlier than it otherwise would have been but the research suggests that this does not compensate for the failure to take the time to fully consider the options and the wording.

The evidence of the research is that those who adopt a multi-tasking strategy do not deal with matters in sufficient emotional depth. They ‘give up the capacity to reflect’ and indulge in ‘screen sucking’, an addiction to checking e-mails all the time, avoiding the hard work and ‘spinning wheels’ without getting anywhere. The research indicates that IQ scores of those who are regularly checking e-mails fall by about 10%. And those who constantly allow their train of thought to be interrupted in this way are far less creative than they could be.

The author does make the point that there are exceptions to the rule; for instance multi-tasking can be effective when a task requiring only physical skills is combined with one that requires mental concentration, for instance listening to learning tapes while mowing the lawn, thinking through new ideas while jogging. Interestingly the article argues that the benefits of the latter can be reduced by the tendency for managers to take their mobile phones with them; ‘mobile free jogging’ is apparently one coping strategy to improve effectiveness.

You might argue that this does not really help the trainer who is faced with addicted Blackberry checkers on a course. Clearly the decision as to how you deal with this irritating phenomenon is a personal (or company) issue. But quoting the research in this article at an early stage could be a gentle way of leading in to the behaviours that you wish to encourage.

To read this article go to:

http://www.managementtoday.co.uk/news/948497/the-myth-multi-tasking/