Most of us find ourselves multitasking at some point and are possibly even proud of our multitasking skills. This presentation includes a game (link on last page) plus some discussion questions and ways to combat multitasking in your organization.

1. Multitaskers Anonymous
Image Credit: Peter Kim at OnlineCollege.org/Mulltitasking

2. Steve Rogalsky
@SROGALSKY
WINNIPEGAGILIST.BLOGSPOT.COM
PROTEGRA.COM

3. Pair up…

4. Charting the Effort
120%
100%
80%
60%
Time spent switching
tasks
Time spent on task(s)
40%
20%
0%
1 Task
?
2
3
4
5
6
Tasks Tasks Tasks Tasks Tasks
From: QSM 1, Systems Thinking (Dorset House, 1992). Jerry Weinberg

5. Charting the Effort
Project 1
Project 1
Project 2
Project 1
Project 2
Project 3
Project 1
Project 2
Project 3
$
Project 2
Project 3
Assume no task switching costs.
When is the project value realized?
$
Project 3
$

6. Charting the Effort
Project 1
$
Project 1
Project 2
$
$
Project 2
$
?
Project 3
Assume no task switching costs.
When is the project value realized?
Project 3
$

7. But… Why is multitasking
slower?

8. 1. Kahneman
• System One
• System Two
Thinking, Fast and Slow

9. 1. Kahneman
• System One
– Happily
Multitasks

10. 1. Kahneman
• System Two
– Is Selfish
– Drains easily
– Prefers working
alone
– Demands
singular focus
– Is used for
Knowledge work

11. 2. Inventory
• In a Physical
Environment:
– Work piles up on
the floor
• In your life:
– Work piles up in
your head

12. Backlogs help organizing your
inventory
• Before the backlog => Existential Overhead
• After the backlog => Cognitive Ease
Credit: Jim Benson
http://ourfounder.typepad.com/leblog/2009/07/personal-kanban-and-existential-overhead.html

13. 3. Zeigarnik Effect
When we finish a
task:
– We get closure
and stop thinking
about it.
When we don’t
finish tasks
– We keep thinking
about them. We
yearn for
completion.

14. 3. Zeigarnik Effect
Therefore:
• If your WIP = 10,
Even if you are only
working on 1,
You are still thinking of
all 10
• Every increase in
WIP=
a) An increase in
Technical Debt
b) More work for us in
the future

15. 3a. Zeigarnik Side Effect
In order to get the
feeling of
completing
something…
We look for things
we can complete –
even if those things
are not priority items

16. 4. Memory
There are 3 things
that help our
memory:
i. Coherence
ii. Concentration
iii. Sequestering
Credit Jim Benson
http://www.personalkanban.com/pk/expert/processing-and-memorypost-1-why-limit-wip-series/

17. i. Coherence
End to end vs. out of order

18. ii. Concentration
All at once vs. 2 minute segments

19. iii. Sequestering
Movie theatre vs. At home

20. Multi-tasking Destroys…
i. Coherence
ii. Concentration
iii. Sequestering

22. Limiting your WIP helps…
i. Coherence
ii. Concentration
iii. Sequestering

23. In Summary: Limit Your WIP

24. Starting things w/o finishing =
:(
Finishing things =
:)
Fostering Completion =
:)
Credit: Jim Benson

25. So… How Do I Say…

26. 1. Esther Derby:
– Stop saying yes to everything
– When you say no, hold to it
• If they learn they can pressure/convince you
once…

27. 2. Johanna Rothman
– If you are expected to run a project without
full time resources, say no. If management
isn’t committed to the project…
– Saying no is difficult, but so is running a
project with part time resources.

28. If you can’t say no…
1. Suggestions from J.B.
Rainsberger:
– What’s the good business reason
to do this?
– Why should I do this specifically
today?
– What would be the consequence
of not doing this?

29. If you can’t say no…
2. Suggestions from Esther and
Johanna:
– What should I stop doing?
– I can do that instead of ____.
Which is more important?
– I can do that, and here is how it will
affect _____ (other work,
commitments, etc)

30. If you can’t say no…
2. Suggestions from Esther and
Johanna:
– I can start on that project after
______.
– When do you need this project?
– Let me tell you when we can start that
project.

31. If you can’t say no…
2. Suggestions from Esther and
Johanna:
– I can’t fit that project in right now, I can
do it ______
– I can’t do that, but I can do this
_______

32. Need reinforcement?
Try Kanban - Visualize your workflow and your WIP

33. Thanks! More Info?
• http://winnipegagilist.blogspot.ca/2012/01/multitasking-gamehandsnumberssong.html
•
WinnipegAgilist.blogspot.ca
– Search for “Multitasking game”
– Game Credit: Alan Cyment
– Also available on TastyCupCakes.org
• PersonalKanban.com
– Jim Bensen
– Tonianne DeMaria Barry
• Thinking, Fast and Slow
– Daniel Kahneman
• Other Credits
– Additional links for Jim, JB, Johanna, Esther articles can all be found on the
blog. above