Multitasking vs. Singular Focus: And the Winner Is?

Handling a multitude of mundane but necessary tasks at one sitting can often save time. But when it comes to dealing with critical issues, leaders need to focus singularly on an A+ execution.

Multitasking gained momentum in the early 1900s when academics conducted time-motion studies of manual laborers. The studies showed that doing more than one thing at a time boosted productivity and reduced fatigue. Today their theory is costing us big time, as the angst-driven compulsion to do two or ten things at once has entered what economists might call the "diminishing law of return" phase.

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