Pick a random job posting, and 9 times out of 10 you'll see the "ability to multi-task" as a requisite. In America, we tend to pride ourselves on how many things we can do in a limited amount of time. The focus is on quantity, and our validation is based on how much we produce rather than what we actually produce.
What ever happened to a quest for quality? And I'm not talking the business definition of quality, quality control, etc. but an actual pursuit of providing a complete, wholehearted output that you can stand behind and be proud of.
I've been on both sides of customer service, and have seen my fair share of successes and failures. The best interactions have happened because a customer service representative literally stopped everything they were doing, gave the customer their complete attention, and focused specifically on the problem at hand. In essence, they single-tasked.
"But Beau, there's not enough time to do that. I can't just drop everything on a whim. I have too many important things to do!"
Simple. Re-evaluate your priorities, and cut the crap that is non-essential. That shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes. Next, set up a time where you focus specifically on that essential task. We're talking no distractions whatsoever. You'll knock it out in a shorter amount of time, and produce a more quality product in the process. Then, repeat the purging process.
The hardest part of moving from a multi-tasking to a single-tasking process for most people is saying no to things, for fear of not looking busy or productive. But if you look at the body of work you actually produce once you start implementing these steps, you may find yourself more productive than ever.
