Difference between revisions of "Context Switching"
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| − | "In its simplest form context switching is jumping between various, unrelated tasks.[https://blog.trello.com/why-context-switching-ruins-productivity]". | + | "In its simplest form context switching is jumping between various, unrelated tasks.[https://blog.trello.com/why-context-switching-ruins-productivity]". That article describes the impact further "People can't actually do more than one task at a time. Instead we switch tasks. So the term that is used in the research is 'task switching'." |
== Types of Context Switching == | == Types of Context Switching == | ||
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== Impact == | == Impact == | ||
| − | + | According to Psychology Today, one can lose up to 40% productivity if one multi-tasks[https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/brain-wise/201209/the-true-cost-multi-tasking]. | |
[[Staffing]] - There is some research that excessive context switching can lower the human IQ by as many as 15 points[[https://blog.trello.com/why-context-switching-ruins-productivity]]. In observations, organizational thrashing leads to a heavy workload without progress in completing tasks. | [[Staffing]] - There is some research that excessive context switching can lower the human IQ by as many as 15 points[[https://blog.trello.com/why-context-switching-ruins-productivity]]. In observations, organizational thrashing leads to a heavy workload without progress in completing tasks. | ||
Revision as of 10:11, 17 October 2018
"In its simplest form context switching is jumping between various, unrelated tasks.[1]". That article describes the impact further "People can't actually do more than one task at a time. Instead we switch tasks. So the term that is used in the research is 'task switching'."
Types of Context Switching
Classic multitasking: Trying to perform more than one task at a time.
Rapid task switching: Going from one task to another in quick succession.
Interrupted task switching: Having to switch from one task to another, before the first task is complete; the mother of all time sucks.[2]
Unskillful multitasking is inefficient. Starting and stopping a task in the middle and then coming back to it requires ramp up and ramp down[3].
Why Does this Happen
The primary cause from observations is a lack of an initiation protocol for work and projects that have significant Level of Effort (LOE). In addition, an overabundance of job responsibilities on a single person can lead to excessive context switching.
An additional possible cause is FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)[[4]].
Lastly, lack of clear accountability and organizational structure may cause requests to occur in a matrix type method. This is where requests are duplicated across different teams, sourced from multiple directions and a lack of clear accountability causes everyone to attempt to solve the issue simultaneously. When coupled with lack of a Project Initiation process, can result in organizational thrashing.
Where computers thrash when they rapidly exchanging data in memory for data on disk, organizational thrashing is a similar phenomenon.
Impact
According to Psychology Today, one can lose up to 40% productivity if one multi-tasks[5].
Staffing - There is some research that excessive context switching can lower the human IQ by as many as 15 points[[6]]. In observations, organizational thrashing leads to a heavy workload without progress in completing tasks.
Shelfware, or tools and investments which are un(der)utilized.
Process - Without an effective Project initiation process, processes fail as human resources Context Switch while attempting to balance competing priorities.
Additional Resources
Author Greg McKeown's book Essentialism[[7]] details many of these concepts.
