This Focused Performance Weblog is a "business management blog" containing links and commentary related primarily to organizational effectiveness with a "Theory of Constraints" perspective. TOC is noted for its applications in Project Management and Multi-Project Management (Critical Chain) and Operations Management (Drum-Buffer-Rope), as well as in Marketing, Strategic Planning and Change Management (TOC Thinking Processes). If you are on an archive page, current postings are found here.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Multi-thinking -- In Innovation Tools, Jeffrey Baumgartner offers good advice for those who feel compelled to multi-task...
"...it is inevitable that your mind occasionally turns to one task while you are working on another. A multi-tasker would be inclined to switch tasks at this point. I recommend you stick to the task at hand, but keep a notebook or at least some paper nearby when performing any tasks. (I recommend having a notebook with you all the time). When the mind turns from the task at hand to another task, simply note down your thoughts in the notebook. Then return to the task at hand."
He goes on to suggest that a good time and place to woolgather/brainstorm/multi-thnk ideas and issues for different responsibilities is while in "long, crowded meetings." I've got concerns about consciously doing that, from a missed information perspective as well as from a civil politeness point of view, but I do like the general idea.
Recording mental interruptions to a physical "in-box" (collection of notes) to be processed and addressed later, frees up the mind for attention to "the task at hand."
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