How often do you find yourself feeling like you didn’t do enough in a given day? Maybe lacking a sense of accomplishment? In today’s fast-paced work environment, hustle culture has been glorified as a badge of honor, a testament to one’s dedication and drive for success. This relentless pursuit of productivity, however, comes at a significant cost, particularly when it comes to task switching and the use of asynchronous communication. Recent findings from Microsoft have shed light on the profound impact these practices have on the quality and quantity of knowledge work. When you consider that every additional project someone has on the go increases the amount of communications they have to engage in — the compounding negative impact on peoples focus and quality of work is impossible to ignore.
The modern workplace is riddled with distractions, with employees finding themselves constantly juggling multiple tasks. Microsoft’s recent report highlights that the heaviest users of Teams meetings spend an entire workday, close to 8 hours a week, in online meetings alone, signifying a 192% increase since February 2020. The constant shift between tasks and meetings, often referred to as ‘task switching’, has been shown to significantly degrade an individual’s ability to concentrate and produce quality work. Each switch may seem minor, but the cumulative effect is a substantial drain on mental resources, leading to decreased productivity and increased susceptibility to errors.
The misnomer of multitasking has emerged from the devices we use that have become ubiquitous.
In computing, multitasking enables a computer to handle several programs or tasks at the same time. This is achieved by rapidly alternating the central processor’s focus among various programs, a process known as context switching. Although it may seem like the programs are operating concurrently, the computer is actually toggling its processing power between them. Similarly, when individuals engage in multiple activities at once, they’re not truly performing tasks simultaneously but are instead shifting their focus from one task to another (Becerra, 2022). A key difference between us and computers is that computers can have multiple processors, as well can actually save data near perfectly when switching tasks — we as humans have neither of these features. Each time we switch between tasks we do so at the expense of errors and intense strain on our brain. This is why we feel run down after a day of varied non coherent tasks; often leaving us feeling like we got nothing done. Metaphorically we feel like our computer does when it gets overworked and has to shut down.
The problem isn’t limited to just tasks in front of us, asynchronous communication, while offering the flexibility to respond in one’s own time, has its own set of challenges. The Microsoft report reveals that the top 25% of heavy email users spend 8.8 hours a week managing their inbox, contributing to what is termed ‘digital debt’—the time spent catching up on communication rather than engaging in meaningful work (Chini, 2023). This constant need to stay connected and respond to an endless stream of messages can hinder deep, focused work, essential for creative and strategic thinking. The problem is further complicated when you consider that any time we engage in asynchronous communications, we are potentially waiting on someone else to proceed, and someone is waiting on us to proceed. The sum effect of this is nothing short of exponential. Project deadlines are pushed back and it’s almost impossible to discern what is really holding the process up — it’s the very nature of the process that is holding things up.
The implications of these practices are far-reaching. Employees report struggling with maintaining the time and energy needed to perform their core job functions due to the overwhelming number of meetings and the bloat of emails. This ‘meeting fatigue’ and the inefficiency of asynchronous communication tools are not just personal grievances; they reflect a broader trend that threatens the very essence of knowledge work by prioritizing quantity over quality, immediacy over importance. Creativity and innovation are frequently the true casualties of not making time to put our best thought into our work. Creativity occurs when we are given time and space to play with ideas — when people are rushing to the next task it’s impossible to dream of what could be.
Addressing these challenges requires a concerted effort from both individuals and organizations. Companies like Shopify and TechSmith have taken bold steps by reducing the number of meetings and experimenting with meeting-free periods, resulting in increased productivity and employee satisfaction (Chini, 2023). On an individual level, setting clear boundaries for deep work, limiting the number of meetings, and leveraging technology to streamline communication can help mitigate the adverse effects of task switching and asynchronous communication.
Kanban boards provide a powerful tool for addressing the pitfalls of multitasking by providing a visual representation of work at various stages of completion. By organizing tasks into columns such as “To Do,” “In Progress,” and “Done,” individuals and teams can easily prioritize and track the flow of work. This clear structure helps in limiting work-in-progress, encouraging a focus on completing current tasks before taking on new ones, thereby reducing the cognitive load associated with switching between multiple tasks. The visual nature of Kanban boards facilitates quick understanding and decision-making, promoting a more disciplined approach to task management and helping to maintain a steady workflow, which is crucial for enhancing productivity and minimizing the inefficiencies associated with multitasking.
The costs of hustle culture, characterized by excessive task switching and reliance on asynchronous communication, are too significant to ignore. By re-evaluating our work practices and adopting more sustainable approaches, we can help our teams understand what is truly important to focus on. It is our jobs as leaders to set priorities for our teams — the message we send with a deluge of projects and priorities is that in fact nothing is the priority. If you’re not sure where to start or you have trouble articulating what is important in your business at any given time, we can probably help. We take a holistic approach to ensure everything in your organization, especially your people strategy is aligned with a stated set of Values, Vision, and Mission. Reach out today for a strategic assessment and see if our process is right for your organization.
References:
Becerra, Irma, “The Myth Of Multitasking In A Hybrid World”, 2022, Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/08/16/the-myth-of-multitasking-in-a-hybrid-world/?sh=670598096b62
Chini, Joey, “Productivity killer: This workplace distraction ranked worst by Microsoft”, 2023, CTV News, https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/productivity-killer-this-workplace-distraction-ranked-worst-by-microsoft-1.6396365
