Monday, December 02, 2013
Avoid 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, study, time management
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Deluged with Scoring Opportunities - Interruption Management
The NFL Red Zone Channel now offers what it calls "showcasing" which means presenting all scoring or potential scoring moments of every active NFL game. This is exactly what stands don’t need!
Years ago was enough to see one game and read about the rest in the sports page the next day. Then it was enough to have the "sports machine" with George Michael recap everything on Sunday night. Then was enough to go to a sports bar and see a couple games on at the same time.
Now, expectations have gone through the roof. The ability to see every potential scoring opportunity as it’s occurring? -- I can only imagine what will happen to the health and well-being of the typical fan. After all, while they're watching others, it's not convenient to exercise, not to mention the level of disruption. Labels: disruption, exercise, expectations, fans, health, scoring, showcasing, sports, well-being
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Family Life Plagued by Cell Phones - Interruption Management
Nearly seven years ago, a study published in the "Journal of Marriage and Family" found that cell phone and pager use for both men and women had become a vehicle for job worries as well problems that interfered with family life.
The article also stated that cell phone technology is linked to increased psychological distress and lower family satisfaction in general for working men and women.
Upshot, even for today: Manage your cell phone after hours or it will quickly manage you. Labels: cell phone, family, happiness, information overload, stress, technology, values, work
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Shiny New Objects - Interruption Management
Here is a guest post from by Karel Murray, CSP, on the importance of not becoming distracted by the "latest and greatest," cleverly using observations about marriage:
An acquaintance of mine shrieked in amazement when I told them that Rick and I celebrated 37 years of marriage in March. Her complete bafflement as to how anyone could stay together that long and still like each other floored me. Being with the same person for that long feels as natural as breathing to me, but she assured me that we must be doing something right for us to last this long.
That started me thinking about our marriage and the institution of marriage in general. According to www.divorcestatistics.org 50% of all marriages in America will end in divorce: the greatest percentage occurring under the age of 30.
Personally, I believe that Americans are in love with the idea of being in love. Consider the romantic movies and the success of shows like the Twilight series where love conquers all, even the tendency to have someone for lunch…literally. Then think about those comedies that highlight the realities of actually living with the same person – while futility settles in and the romantic glow fades, there emerges a desire to resume the search to recapture that “feeling” with someone new.
It’s hard to compete with boring! It’s like that new car smell… we love clambering into the newest model car and breathing deep with a satisfied smile on our face. But after about four months, the smell recedes and all we have is the car we are making monthly payments on.
The glamour of ownership fades…especially if the model you purchased doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the new ones being advertised everywhere. In our minds, the vehicle becomes less desirable, even though technically it was everything we could have wanted when we purchased it.
I’m distressed by this “shiny new object” thinking because it really makes it difficult to just be you with someone and be accepted the way you are and always have been.
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says Jeff: So, too, with not letting yourself be buffeted by all that competes for your time and attention. Let most of it go... Labels: ads advertisements, envy, greatest, hype, latest, new, shiny, spin
Tuesday, November 05, 2013
The Benefits of Deep Reading - Interruption Management
An article in Time Magazine reports that "reading literature makes us smarter and nicer" and that "deep reading is vigorous exercise from the brain and increases our real-life capacity for empathy." On top of that reading focuses your attention, a quite useful capability in age of interruption Labels: concentrate, empathize. literature, empathy, exorcise., focus, read
Saturday, November 02, 2013
Friday, October 25, 2013
Technology is Reprogramming Us! - Interruption Management
A recent article in the Boston Globe contends that you can’t stop checking your phone. To fight such activities as texting and driving means confronting a bigger problem: that our technology is reprogramming us! Labels: addiction, anxiety, cell phone, habit, reprogramming, stress, texting
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