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The scourge of multitasking Tutorial

In "The Scourge of Multitasking," join Eva, a seasoned manager, as she tackles the debate of multitasking in virtual meetings. With insights from her team, discover the balance between maintaining engagement and flexibility during discussions. Uncover best practices that enhance collaboration while keeping focus intact. Don't miss this enlightening exploration of teamwork dynamics!

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Eva,

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a seasoned manager,

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was faced with a common challenge multitasking during virtual meetings.

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Some members of her team had gotten into the habit of

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checking their emails or working on other files during meetings.

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Eva was torn.

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The voices against multitasking were strong.

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They pointed out that the resulting distraction decreased engagement,

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led to repetitions,

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and could even lead to less informed decision making.

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They believed that the visible lack of attention from some

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discouraged others and slowed down the flow of the meeting.

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On the other hand,

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some defended multitasking as a human ability to juggle various tasks,

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arguing that it did not necessarily harm the meeting.

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They saw it as a time saver,

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especially during parts of the meeting that did not directly concern them.

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Perplexed but proactive,

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Eva decided to devote a team meeting to this issue.

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On the day of the meeting,

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the team gathered on Zoom.

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Eva introduced the topic,

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then opened the debate.

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Arguments flew from both sides.

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Some argued for strict rules against multitasking,

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others for a more flexible approach.

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Eva,

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attentive,

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noted each point through a mind map on the shared screen.

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She then asked if there were meetings during which they did not multitask and why.

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The answers came quickly

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when the entire meeting really concerns me,

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when there is a precise agenda with time

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sequences and a timer displayed on the screen,

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when my opinion is solicited,

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when the objectives are clear,

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when there are interactive segments to maintain engagement,

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when a 5 minute break is planned to have time to check urgent messages.

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At the end of the meeting,

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the team had collectively decided on the best

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practices to avoid multitasking without completely prohibiting it.

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Individual responsibility remained paramount.

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The team encouraged giving each other feedback

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if one's multitasking hindered the group.

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And finally,

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the team chose to implement an evaluation time at

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the end of the meeting with a specific question.

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Was I tempted to multitask during a meeting,

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and why?

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when Eva asked this same question at the end of the meeting,

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the entire team burst out laughing.

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None of them had practiced multitasking during this memorable meeting.

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