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Demystifying the multi tasking myth

We all do it: Texting while walking, sending emails during meetings, chatting on the phone while cooking dinner. In today’s society, doing just one thing at a time seems downright luxurious, even wasteful.

But chances are, you’re not doing yourself (or your boss or your friends and family) any favours by multitasking your way through the day. Research shows that it’s not nearly as efficient as we like to believe.

Task switching

What you call multitasking is really task-switching, “When it comes to attention and productivity, our brains have a finite amount. It’s like a pie chart, and whatever we’re working on is going to take up the majority of that pie. There’s not a lot left over for other things, with the exception of automatic behaviours like walking or chewing gum.’’ Moving back and forth between several tasks actually wastes productivity, because your attention is expended on the act of switching gears-plus, you never get fully “in the zone’’ for either activity.

Wastes time/slows you down

Contrary to popular belief, multi tasking doesn’t save time. In fact it will probably take you longer to finish two projects when you’re jumping back and forth than it would to finish each one separately. The same is true even for behaviours as seemingly automatic as driving: in a 2008 University study, drivers took longer to reach their destinations when they chatted on cell phones. What tends to save the most time is to do things in batches. Pay your bills all at once, and then send your emails all at once. Each task requires a specific mindset, and once you get in it you should stay there and finish.

Learn how to be the boss of your time. For more on Time Management training, visit www.summit-training-africa.com or email info@summit-training-africa.com

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Transforming your sales team

Every sales force is made up of the typical bell curve comprising A-players, B-players and C-players. 80% of the revenue is generated by the A-players (who usually represent around 20% of the sales force). They seem to figure out how to be successful, regardless of the economy, competitors, aging product or any of the other numerous excuses cited on the Monday morning sales call.

For many sales leaders, the key to significant growth is enabling the B-players to perform like A-players. While many B-players have the potential, it is unrealised because, unlike A-players, they require specific help to upgrade their performance.

In the world of complex business-to-business selling there is no such thing as a born salesperson. Everyone who excels in this space had to learn. It’s the same with golf. No one is born a natural golfer. It doesn’t matter how athletic people are: if they are given a golf club without any training or coaching, they will become frustrated and abandon the sport. On the other hand, anyone can become a decent golfer with appropriate training and coaching.

If you want to see a predictable improvement in the flow of business from your B-players, don’t focus on the transaction (the dependent variable) they have no control over. Focus their attention on variables in the selling process that they do have control over. Figure out what your A-players do before selling. Then train and coach your B players to master such basics. This will dramatically improve their performance.

Invest in your sales team. For more information on the trainings we offer visit www.summit-training-africa.com, email info@summit-training-africa.com or call 0702 369224.