by Art Barron

If you are a fan of multi-tasking, or if you label yourself as a multi-tasker, then this piece of writing might upset you. Yes, there are moments when the need for multi-tasking is paramount. But when things really matter, just like in business, you might want to concentrate on one task at a time.

A successful entrepreneur doesn’t multi-task, and this is a fact!

Multi-tasking, by definition, is said to be the act of simultaneously doing two or more tasks in hopes of doing the most number of tasks in the least amount of time. Simply put, it’s the most you can do in the fastest way you can do them.

A classic example involves writing an e-mail, answering a phone call, sipping your coffee, and “mouth-signaling” your incoming visitor to stay on the couch while you finish the call. That’s four tasks all at once. Amazing, right?

Multi-tasking is okay, if the activities that you are taking care of are fairly simple and somewhat routine in nature. In technical terms, this is called “continuous partial attention” where one does a number of things at a time and that these tasks are not studied in depth. And this is rarely the case for a successful entrepreneur.

One of the things that a serious entrepreneur needs is concentration, especially if your business is one that calls for face-to-face or personal interaction with customers. No customer would be thrilled if you would be talking to them, while at the same time, talking to another customer on your phone while emailing another on your computer. No one will ever accuse you of being a competent entrepreneur if you’re like this, much less a serious entrepreneur.

The Switching Cost – the Cost of Switching from One Task to Another

The effect on the human brain of multi-tasking and its effects on productivity have long since been studied by experimental psychologists. Studies have shown that there is a “switching” cost of four minutes to get back to maximum productivity in between switching tasks. Get back to the first example. It will take you approximately sixteen minutes to complete a cycle of multi-tasking with maximum productivity. For a serious entrepreneur, those sixteen minutes is too much to waste.

Knowing that, would you still think that multi-tasking is a good thing for you and your business? True, a serious entrepreneur just has too many things to do, and sometimes 24 hours a day just isn’t enough.

However, any serious entrepreneur should not sacrifice quality for quantity and should finish one task at a time. In the long-run, what you’ll spend in time you’ll more than make up for in productivity. What’s more, you’ll feel less stress, as your mind is only occupied with one thing at a time. If you keep on taking things one at a time, you’ll see that, sooner or later, your workload has been significantly reduced and your end results have superb quality. Truly, this is what every successful entrepreneur wants in the end!

About the Author:
If you’ve enjoyed all the exciting information you read here about top marketing entrepreneurs,you’ll love everything else you find at Top Earning Marketers

Tagged with: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Filed under: Business Online

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!