One thing at a Time

This is a natural follow up to my post last week, Focus on Focus.  Tony Schwartz‘s post on the Harvard Business Review blog challenges the common practice of multitasking and claims that we are more effective and efficient when we focus. Schwartz estimates we a task takes an average of 25% more time when we divide our attention and the drain on our energy levels are even more costly.  Schwartz offers suggestions for both managers and individual contributors:

For managers:

1. Maintain meeting discipline.
2. Stop demanding or expecting instant responsiveness at every moment of the day.
3. Encourage renewal.

For individual contributors:

1. Do the most important thing first in the morning.
2. Establish regular, scheduled times to think more long term, creatively, or strategically.
3. Take real and regular vacations.