Are you getting whiplash from all the back and forth interruptions throughout your day? From the constant ping of emails, texts or instant messages, to people popping their heads in your office door, today's workers are pulled in so many different directions it's making them less effective. One researcher called it a "perpetual state of semi-distraction" and suggested the residue of the prior tasks lingers in the mind, which lessens your effectiveness on the task at hand. Sure, multitasking is a skill but the studies show that having 12 tabs open on a browser while sitting on a conference call and receiving a text is actually lessening your ability to perform well on the task at hand. Unfortunately, this may be a side effect of our digital society, and something that most people take for granted now as normal. What can be done about our collective "attention residue"? How can workers change their approach when, literally, everyone is working this way now? Could focusing on just one task at a time actually improve productivity and ultimately help reduce the amount of time you spend at work? The research highlights a common workplace problem that many people aren't even aware of: being pulled in too many directions to be completely effective on any one task. The idea of "attention residue" is that when you switch to a new task, the thoughts from the prior task linger in the back of your mind, making it harder to fully concentrate. This reduces your cognitive capacity, making the new task take longer to complete. Lab studies proved this theory and linked attention residue with lower on-the-job-performance. One article said the quality of decision-making could be reduced along with the ability to recall details. Psychology Today agrees, and states that multitasking wastes up to 40 percent of your true productivity. They suggest that humans cannot really fully concentrate on more than one thing at a time, so "multitasking" is really "task switching." They compiled the most recent research and found: If multitasking truly doesn't work, then what should the average employee do to improve their productivity, especially with all the distractions you typically face? To eliminate some of the distractions you take for granted each day, here are some practical ways to help block your time to increase productivity: It may feel very strange at first to change the behaviors that have become ingrained in today's digital world. But it's worth trying these techniques to at least see if they help you feel more productive. If you and your team feel pulled in too many directions, consider the ways a staffing and recruiting partner could help. Staffing agencies can:What is "Attention Residue"?
Practical Productivity Tips to Kill Attention Residue
Improve Your Focus and Productivity With the Right Staffing Partner