Monday, April 16, 2018
Put an End to Multitasking - Interruption Management
Researchers at the Federal Aviation Administration and the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor found that while doing multiple tasks at once might appear to be more efficient it actually is more time consuming and in some cases poses health risks.
Four groups of young adults participated in four experiments. They were all asked to carry out a series of tasks and switch between different tasks, some complicated, such as solving a math problem, and others easier and more familiar, such as identifying a geometric shape. A participant's performance speed was measured as the tasks were carried out.
The findings: human capacity for multitasking decidely has its limits. Participants lost time in performance speed when switching tasks and they lost more time as the task became more complex. Labels: complexity, distraction, interruption, limitation, multi-tasking, performance, study, time management
Sunday, April 08, 2018
Remain Informed, Avoid Overwhelm - Interruption Management
How can you stayed informed without being overwhelmed?
* Choose to acquire knowledge that supports or interests you, not what you simply happen to ingest, or think you have to ingest.
* Look for broad-based patterns and trends, as opposed to quickly disappearing fads and forgettable trivia.
* Learn to delegate some of your reading to your most junior staff. After only 15 minutes of instruction and armed with a list of key words, they will be able to rather easily identify articles of interest to you.
* Prune your files regularly and ruthlessly. Constantly throw out what does not support you. Labels: choice, delegation, information overload, organization, personal growth, proactivity, productivity, time managment
Sunday, April 01, 2018
Hello, Paperless Office? - Interruption Management
“Tiffany Wilken in her essay on the myth of the paperless office reiterates, ‘paper usage seems to be increasing, rather than decreasing. What gives?’
Though we take advantage of digital technology for info-searchs, email, chats, and games, we don't quite trust it. We've all been burned by our computers at one time or another. In the back of our minds is the haunting doubt, ‘What if my computer crashes and I lose all my files?’ A hardcopy back-up still feels safer than something on hard-disk.
“The major obstacle to reaching the paperless office may be socio-technical, according to a report funded by the Electronic Document Systems Foundation. People like the smell of opening a book. We may simply prefer paper…” ! Labels: information safety, modern life, office, paper, technology
Friday, March 30, 2018
Distractions at Every Turn - Interruption Management
The reality of our times: potential distractions at every turn. In the last 12 months, in the U.S. alone:
175,000 books were published
200+ new magazines were launched
7,600 movies were offered on DirecTV
222,000 televised programs were available.
700+ films were produced
Decide now to only choose the best of information and communication resources; you simply don't have time for the rest! Labels: communication, culture, information overload, new releases, society
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Real Happiness, Despite it All - Interruption Management
In his book, The Templeton Plan: 21 Steps to Personal Success and Real Happiness, author John Templeton offers some rare gems in a world awash with self-help information. For example, he suggests demonstrating:
* Truthfulness when a lie would be so much easier.
* Reliability when you could slack off.
* Faithfulness during moments of doubt.
* Perseverance when you think that you are too tired to go on.
* Energy while encountering roadblocks.
* Humility while others heap their praise on you.
* Altruism although you may sense an atmosphere of selfishness around you.
* Joy at the moment your prospects seem darkest.
So refreshing to have handy these short passages of sage advice. Labels: advice, choice, happiness, personal growth, self-help, values
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Distractions, Distractions... - Interruption Management
* The Smithsonian Museum adds 1,000,000+ items to its collection each year, most of which are not seen by the public.
* The fully printed documentation for every feature and system on a Boeing 757 allegedly outweighs the plane.
* The typical U.S. executive annually receives more than 54,000 e-mails, most of them spam.
For more eye-openers, visit: www. OpeningKeynote.com and www. BreathingSpaceBlog.com
Labels: bombardment, data, distraction, information overload, work
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Retreat from the Information Shower - Interruption Management
As writer Kevin Donahue observes: a married father of two whose job requires him to be plugged in 24-7, began weaning himself from his cell phone. Davids Swink's goal was to leave office stress in the office. “Make your smartphone work for you, rather than be at its mercy,” recommended Swink, chief creative officer of Strategic Interactions.
He suggested putting the phone in a drawer, turning off the ringer, and setting up a regular time every couple of hours to check and answer e-mail for 5 minutes.
After doing so, Swink concluded, “I needed more like 10 minutes per session! But overall, I felt cleansed, less stressed, and was more engaged with my family. Those mini-interruptions – not just work, but Twitter, Facebook, and e-mail from friends – really take a toll!” Labels: cell phone, control, information overload, self-management, stress
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