The Costco Connection - September 2015

MULTITASKING IS A myth. The brain is hard-wired to do one thing at a time. When we think we’re multitasking we are actually engaged in what neuroscientists call “task switching”—switching rapidly between tasks.

Attempting to multitask lowers IQ, shrinks the brain’s gray matter and lowers productivity by 40 percent, according to studies.

We are living distracted lives, resulting in what I call “scattered brain syndrome.”

The singletask sensation

DEVORA ZACK: GETTING FOCUSED

Devora Zack,

CEO of Only Connect Consulting (myonlyconnect.

com, @Devora_ Zack) is an author, speaker, consultant and coach.

Allow me to introduce singletasking.

Singletasking means developing a heightened focus and accomplishing more by living fully in the present. You can improve your relationships and your quality of life by reclaiming control and remembering what matters.

You can do one thing well or two things poorly. Here are some techniques to get you started.

Sync your thoughts and actions. Make a conscious effort to align your mind and body: Work on focusing your thoughts on the person or task in front of you.

Create systems. Build “fences” around potential distractions before they occur. Prior to a phone call, turn off your auditory pings and visual pop-ups; it is nearly impossible to ignore them once they occur.

Enjoy lunch. A recent Harvard study found that those who attempt to work through lunch accomplish less work overall.

Cluster-task. Choose an activity you
do frequently, such as checking emails, and
cluster that task into two or three designated
segments throughout the day rather than
letting it overrun your other obligations.

Time-shift. Although some tasks require intensity and hard work, set aside time each day to unwind. The University of London found that even 15 minutes a day of relaxing increases overall productivity by

24 percent.

Be present. When enjoying a meal for business or pleasure, invite all parties to turn off their phones and put them in a pile. The first one to touch a phone pays for everyone.

Singletasking means committing to your choices. You can address your next task after working on the existing one. You don’t have to complete every task all at once just for a designed timeframe. Try applying these techniques to your work, relationships and hobbies. Experience the change yourself.

Get out there and enjoy each day, one sunbeam at a time. C

FRESHviews

DO YOU WORRY about you or your employees stagnating?

Karie
Willyerd,
a workplace
futurist, and Costco
member Barbara Mistick, president of
Wilson College in Chambersburg,
Pennsylvania, suggest that employers
“need to help people get the tools they
need to achieve their career goals.”
They offer the following tips to help
keep all minds engaged.

Adopt a growth mindset. Don’t settle for the idea that our skills are fixed.

True potential is unknowable because it is impossible to foresee what can be accomplished with years of passion, toil and training. Hire and promote the people who are improving year over year.

Give feedback to help others grow.

Millennials—people under the age of 35— want feedback 50 percent more often than non-millennials. And many say the relationship with their manager is what keeps them engaged at work. Take the time to give the feedback necessary to create a

Are you ready for the future?

IN JUNE, the Small Business Administration (SBA; sba.gov) unveiled a new communications service that allows deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals to communicate with the agency directly in American Sign Language (ASL), rather than through typed text or other third-party intermediary services. The service is part of the SBA’s continued efforts to make services and programs more accessible to all communities.

SBA administrator Maria Contreras-
Sweet says the new ser-
vice will be a helpful
business tool and
can aid in job
development.

While more than 335,000

Americans who
are deaf or hard of
hearing already own
their own business,
only 48 percent of the deaf
community is currently employed, she says.

The ASL video customer support line’s contact representative can be reached via videophone between 8 a.m. and 4: 30 p.m.

Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, at

1-855-440-4960. C

SBA help for the
hearing impaired

H E ARI N G IM PAIR E D I CO N © MIN D SC A N NE R; H OT AIR B ALL O ON © MO NK E Y FO C US / SH U T T ER ST OC K

In our digital editions

Click here to watch Devora Zack talk about singletasking. (See page 12 for details.)

learning moment.

Avoid reaching your sell-by date.

Are you continuing to
learn and stay abreast of
your field? Your company
may be doing well, but
what about the bigger
picture of the economy
and your industry? Seek out a
conference or industry event that can
help you find out what innovations
are emerging in the field.

Stay educated. Learning should never be over if you plan on competing in the future. Consider sponsoring lunch-and-learn TED talk sessions or invite local college professors in to give short talks.

Get five to thrive. Find five people who inspire you and make you a better person. A Gallup poll says employees who have a best friend at work are the most engaged. Help facilitate friendships with social outings, such as summer picnics and holiday parties, to encourage loyalty to each other and the company.