Multitasking Is a Myth

"To do two things at once is to do neither."

Publilius Syrus, 100 A.D., Roman philosopher

About the PresentersJeromey Sheets, Ed.D. 15 year veteran principal Has led four schools Past President of OAESA NAESP State

Representative Last school earned 8/8 on

Ohio Report Card One OAESA Hall of Fame

School

Paul Young, Ph.D. 19 year veteran principal Has led four schools Past President of OAESA Past President of NAESP Last school earned highest

district scores in reading (Gr. 1, 4 & 6)

Two OAESA Hall of Fame Schools

Retired CEO, National AfterSchool Association

Principals faceNEW DEMANDS

but often with insufficient resources

There appear to be no “edges” to the work

As a Result…You May Have Hit a Brick Wall When

You …• dread Monday mornings• never seem to be able to catch up• always run behind schedule• overlook or forget obligations• lose energy and passion for work• feel stressed or depressed• can no longer balance work and family

obligations• your office is always in a state of chaos• fail to have fun

“You cannot be burned out unless you first have caught on fire!”

Presentation Goals

• improve a vision of time management

• help principals reduce stress and increase their productivity

• effectively organize a principal’s work day

• rethink common practices related to multitasking

Review and further develop strategies that…

If you continue to do what you’ve already been doing, don’t be

surprised if you continue to get the same results –

and still feel stressed out!

Trying to “Do It All”

Really Means “Nothing Done

Well”

Multitasking may seem to be saving time, but

psychologists, neuroscientists, and other researchers report that it causes stress and makes

us less efficient

Multitasking Bans

Multitasking Bans • College classrooms - students using laptops

inappropriately (e-mails, instant messages, Web surfing, playing games)

• Airline industry - “Sterile cockpit” rule• Hospitals – nurses’ administration of medication• Cell phones usage while driving in most countries• Nineteen states ban texting while driving• Business - Quiet hours/days

With some simple tweaks in the environment, positive behaviors can be developed.

What might look like a people problem is more often a situation problem.

• Humans multitask• Decide when and when not

to multitask• If you must multitask, the

focus on the primary task must not be more important than those that are secondary

The Reality of Multitasking

POLLWhich of these

three job-related priorities do you think have been pushed aside in

your daily schedule because of

multitasking and/or excessive demands

on your time?

1. Time to read2. Time to work

with students3. Time for

coaching staff members

Understand A Key Differential in Multitasking

Active switchtaskingPassive switchtasking

The Brain Cannot Toggle Effectively

W r i t e t h i s s e n t e n c e o n e l e t t e r a t a t i m e.

W________________________________________________.1_________________________________________________.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

W________________________________________________.1_________________________________________________.

The Sample Test

Modified from The Myth of Multitasking, 2008, Dave Crenshaw, Jossey-Bass

Active and Passive Switchtasking

Cue/start at about 1:10 – end at approx. 3:00

1 to 1 Huddles - Switchbuster by Dave CrenshawLearn how “1 to 1 Huddles” could become

an effective strategy that leads to effective communication and direction for

principals’ key staff

Cue to approx. 1:06

Typical Slice of Your Day?10:00 research and write/type report (due after lunch)10:10 respond to secretary, custodian, or staff question10:11 return to writing/typing – must review10:16 call from superintendent, change of meeting time10:17 email inbox message sounded (ding!!)10:18 read email, then catch up on others10:20 reply to email from parent10:22 return to writing/typing report – must

proofread10:25 staff member stop-in question “got a minute?”10:30 call/question about intervention for a child

Private Restroom for

a Multitasking

Principal

Most Common Interruptions

• “Got a minute?”• walk-in visitors• e-mail audibly arriving in your

inbox• land-phone calls• cell-phone calls• office noises; staff questions• voluntary switching between

tasks• being called away for assistance

You can have several programs and/or screens

open at once on your desktop,

but you can only think about one at a time

Despite what many of us think, you cannot

simultaneously e-mail and talk on the phone

Can you recognize the “email voice”?

POLLWhat distractor would you most

like to address in order to

restructure your workday, avoid

interruptions, and avoid the dangers of active switching

1. “Got a minute?”

2. Office referrals (students)

3. Parent walk-ins

Multitasking Can Set a Poor Example

Does this ever happen in your school?

You may not have flagrant examples of multitasking addicts

in your school, but you may have…

• teachers/students using social media during class time

• cell phone calls in classrooms• hallway/outdoors distractions• unstructured interruptions• AND MUCH MORE

You need…• uninterrupted work blocks• think time• self-awareness• awareness of others• clear communications• less stress• structure in your day• visibility

You Don’t Need More…• iPads• iPods• iPhones• PDAs• Computers• Pagers• Fax machines• Email addresses• New methods, accessories, or tools

“The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.”

--anonymous

A Dilemma for Leaders…

No matter how busy you think you are, you must always take time to make other people feel

important

Create an expectation of availability

Can You Categorize and Quantify Your Daily

Work? • Talking• Listening• Walking• Typing/Writing• Reading• Thinking• Reacting

POLL

Of the categorical tasks that comprise principals’ daily work, which do you think consumes the most of your time each day?

1. Talking2. Listening3. Walking4. Typing/

Writing5. Reading6. Thinking7. Reacting

New Practices - New Realities• Perfect the practice of visioning• Develop a comfortable work plan• Organize• Empower• Delegate• Know your facts – but drill them

deeper• Keep the “Monkeys” Off Your Back

Keep the Monkeys Off Your Back

• “Monkeys” are problems teachers deal with (student behavior)

• Don’t take on problems that should be handled at a lower level of the school hierarchy

• Empower staff• Be decisive

Improve Your Mental Health – Simplify Your Work

• Set up to-do lists (calls, computer, errands, home, waiting-for, etc.)

• Use a capture tool (such as a notes app or notebook) • Have one physical and one email inbox • Plan your day in blocks (work and miscellaneous tasks) • First thing in the morning, work on your Most

Important Task • Turn off distractions (email, Internet, cell phone)• Train yourself to avoid the urge to check email or

switch tasks• Train your secretary and staff when you MUST be

interrupted• Process your email and other inboxes at regular and

pre-determined intervals • Take breaks, enjoy life, go outside, exercise, and

appreciate nature

What if your Principal work day looked like this?

7:15 office (email; US mail; paperwork; planning)

7:45 meeting with custodian or secretary

8:00 meeting with secretary or custodian

8:15 open door time for staff8:45 open door time for

community9:00 opening activities9:05 open door time for

community9:25 walk-throughs10:00 phone calls; email; note

writing10:15 Work Block – I11:00 observations11:30 lunch/playground

12:00 open office (teachers, staff, visitors) 12:45 phone calls; email; US Mail; office staff

time1:00 Work Block - II1:30 observations2:15 walk-throughs2:30 scheduled meetings3:15 open door time for community3:30 dismissal3:35 open door time for community; staff4:00 phone calls; email; meetings4:15 Work Block – III5:00 home 5:30 exercise

Family TimeYou must be able to envision your day before, not as, it unfolds

What if your Assistant Principal or Afterschool Program Director days were synched?

10:00 office (email; US mail; paperwork; planning)10:15 meeting with custodian or secretary10:20 meeting with custodian or secretary10:30 Work Block - I11:30 office (email; US mail; paperwork; planning) 11:45 open door time for staff12:00 open door time for community12:15 lunch/conference time12:45 office (email; US mail; paperwork; planning)1:00 Work Block – II2:00 program preparations3:00 open time for after school staff3:30 program supervision4:00 collaboration with school staff4:30 email; phone calls; planning4:45 open time for parents5:30 program wrap-up6:00 home6:30 exercise

Family Time

You must be able to envision your day before, not as, it unfolds.

Tips for the Road• Set clear, attainable expectations • Respect the time your key staff needs with

you• Always have your calendar with you and

never commit to a meeting or adjourn one without scheduling all the stakeholders for the next one

• Always allow travel time between your activities

• Train your staff and community to work with your schedule

• Learn to walk and talk – meeting in motion (perhaps one multitasking activity we can do)

• Revise your schedule as needed

Slow and Steady Wins

the Race

Potential Achilles Heels• Desire/Determination• Visionless culture• Calendar management• Coordinating• Clutter • Habits• Delegation• Empowerment• Recurring Meetings• Follow-up• Lack of Fitness• Always Saying Yes!

You can’t implement or achieve any successful change process without

practice

What is Multitasking?Just a polite way of

telling someone that you haven’t heard a

word they said

The challenge to get things done is yours

Only you can decide to commit to a change

process that will improve your work habits

Meet Us In Nashville!!Share your vision of positive

school culture with other principals

• Saturday, July 12, 10:15-11:45 a.m.• Canal C – Gaylord Opryland Resort

and Convention Center

Suggested Readings• Allen, D. (2001). Getting things done. New York: Viking Penguin Group.• Author (2004). We Weren't Made To Multitask. ScienceDaily. American

Physiological Society. June 8. • Blanchard, K. Oncken, W. & Burrows, H. (1989). The one minute manager meets

the monkey. New York: William Morrow and Company.• Crenshaw, D. (2008). The myth of multitasking. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.• Heath, C. & Heath, D. (2010).

Switch. How to change things when change is hard. New York, Broadway Books.• Lehrer, J. (2009). How we decide. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. • Linenberger, M. (2010). Master your workday now!

San Ramon, CA: New Academy Publishers.• Rosen, C. (2008) The Myth of Multitasking. The New Atlantis

, Number 20, p. 105-110.• Rubinstein, J., Meyer, D., & Evans, J. (2001).

Executive Control of Cognitive Processes in Task Switching. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 27 (4), 763-797.

• Shellenbarger, S. (2003). Multitasking Makes You Stupid: Studies Show Pitfalls of Doing Too Much at Once. Wall Street Journal; New York, 02-27-2003.

• Weimer, M. (2012). Students Think They Can Multitask. Here’s Proof They Can’t. www.facultyfocus.com

Presenter Contact Information

Jeromey M. Sheets, Ed.D.

2625 Wheeling Rd NE Lancaster, OH 43130 740-503-0617 (C) 740-654-1820 (H) j_sheets@lancaster.k12.oh.uswww.lancaster.k12.oh.us

Paul G. Young, Ph.D.485 Crestview Drive

Lancaster, OH 43130614-296-4246 (C)

740-653-6553 (H) paulyoungohio@gmail.comwww.youngprinciples.com