Has "multi-tasking" been over-rated?

I read an article a few months ago that mentioned the number of messages, or pieces of information we are bombarded with on a daily basis. The author was talking about how difficult it seems to have become to concentrate on any one thing for an extended period of time. Have you found that to be true?

We live in a multi-media age that seems to frame discussions into 'video clips' and 'sound bites'. In our individual lives, we take on a myriad of things to do, and it often seems that a lot of our energy is spent trying to re-focus our attention in order to get to the point where we can address the next pressing priority of the moment. I wonder if that time could have been better spent in actually addressing the issues themselves. In other words, our first problem is getting to the place where we can properly address the problem!

Has the perceived value of "multi-tasking" been over-rated? How many things can you really focus on and do well?  What does multi-tasking" mean to you? How have you balanced the various "in-boxes" on your desk?

Please share your thoughts with a COMMENT to this POST.

Asking, "Why" Five Times

Do you remember when you were younger ... how many people did you drive 'crazy' with that one simple question, "Why?"  But when it comes to making improvements in business, asking "Why" is a very good question to ask. In fact, you may have heard of "Asking Why Five Times" which I understand has it's roots with Toyota (speaking of driving)! 

Here is something on Toyota's philosophy of asking, "Why" Five Times.

We come across problems in all sorts of situations in life, but according to Taiichi Ohno, pioneer of the Toyota Production System in the 1950s, "Having no problems is the biggest problem of all."  Ohno saw a problem not as a negative, but in fact as "a kaizen* opportunity in disguise."  Whenever one cropped up, he used to encourage his staff to explore problems first-hand until their root causes were found. "Observe the production floor without preconceptions," he would advise.  "Ask ‘why’ five times about every matter."  Source:  http://www.toyota-global.com/company/toyota_traditions/quality/mar_apr_2006.html

* Kaizen : In Japanese, the definition of Kaizen is "improvement" and particularly, "Continuous Improvement"-- slow, incremental but constant.

Here is the example that Toyota uses to describe the application of "Asking Why 5 times":

1. 
   

   "Why did the robot stop?"

   The circuit has overloaded, causing a fuse to blow.



2. 
   

   "Why is the circuit overloaded?"

   There was insufficient lubrication on the bearings, so they locked up.



3. 
   

   "Why was there insufficient lubrication on the bearings?"

   The oil pump on the robot is not circulating sufficient oil.



4. 
   

   "Why is the pump not circulating sufficient oil?"

   The pump intake is clogged with metal shavings.



5. 
   

   "Why is the intake clogged with metal shavings?"

   Because there is no filter on the pump.

How could asking why 5 times help you get to the root cause of a problem that is keeping you from success?

Success - A Sense of Satisfaction

Every now and again I come across little pieces of information, stories or anecdotes that remind me that it is a wonderful thing to find satisfaction in what you do for a living. Perhaps you've seen statistics related to this and how a large percentage of the working population have an underlying sense of discontentment in the work that they do.

Perhaps you can add some additional stories to this section, but here's one about the mechanic and the surgeon that I located on the Internet at: <http://www.businessballs.com/inspirational_motivational_quotes.htm#come_to_the_edge_inspirational_poem_quote>
   

A heart surgeon took his car to his local garage for a regular service, where he usually exchanged a little friendly banter with the owner, a skilled but not especially wealthy mechanic.

"So tell me," says the mechanic, "I've been wondering about what we both do for a living, and how much more you get paid than me ..."

"Yes?..." says the surgeon.

"Well look at this," says the mechanic, as he worked on a big complicated engine, "I check how it's running, open it up, fix the valves, and put it all back together so it works good as new... We basically do the same job don't we? And yet you are paid ten times what I am - how do you explain that?"

The surgeon thought for a moment, and smiling gently, replied,"Try it with the engine running..."