- In my time management fundamentals course, I talk about how there's no such thing as multitasking. There is either switchtasking or background tasking. Switchtasking is when you're trying to perform two activities that require attention at the same time. It's never productive and always inefficient. Background tasking, however, is when something mindless, mundane, or automatic occurs in the background while you're performing an activity. Background tasking can get you the maximum benefit for the time that you spend working.
So it's actually something you want to actively look for. You want to find opportunities to background task. So I'd like to give you a few suggestions of places that you can look to find opportunities to background task. The first is through delegation. If you think about all the different activities that you have, only a few of them are most valuable. These are the things where you want to actively focus your attention. It's better for someone else to do the less valuable activities.
For instance, it might be my most valuable activity to write a course like this, where my less valuable activity is proofreading. So I could go onto one of the variety of outsourcing websites that are out there, for instance one example is Upwork, and I could look for someone who is good at proofreading. This allows me to focus on my most valuable activity and write another course while I delegate the proofreading to someone else. Another way to delegate is through training.
By taking the time to train someone else on my team or a subordinate on how to do something, I can get a huge payoff through background tasking. Another way to gain time is through using a machine to background task. Computers are an obvious example. If they're crunching numbers while I'm doing something else that's great, but also we can use something like a printer or a scanner. They can be involved in a long scanning job rather than me sitting there and feeding one piece of paper at a time, if I have a good scanner that allows me to give it a whole bunch of papers while I work on my most valuable activity, on something else.
And finally, there are lots of little personal opportunities for background tasking in your day. For instance, if you have a daily commute, you might use that time to listen to an audio book. Or what if you want to go through courses on this library? You could exercise while you do that to get both the benefit of the learning and the physical health. Background tasking can be an effective and powerful tool to improve your time management. I recommend that you are constantly on the lookout for opportunities to background task.
Author
Updated
4/15/2019Released
4/11/2016Productivity expert Dave Crenshaw provides techniques on a wide variety of topics, designed to help people better manage their time and ultimately become more productive. Tune in to learn about everything from managing emails and calendars to setting priorities, collaborating with coworkers, reducing interruptions, crafting a "productivity mindset," and creating a more comfortable and effective work environment.
Have an idea for a future video from Dave? Submit it using our course feedback form. If you want more time management strategies now, we recommend watching Dave's Time Management Fundamentals course.
- Reducing interruptions
- Dealing with feeling overwhelmed
- Responding to quick questions
- Making the most of meetings
- Following up
- Implementing a closed door, open calendar policy
Skill Level Intermediate
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Introduction
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Welcome43s
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1. Time Management Tips
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Power tips for sending email3m 14s
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Positive procrastination3m 15s
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Remove the "busy" tag2m 58s
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Manage digital interruptions4m 19s
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Make the most of meetings2m 52s
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Follow up on delegated items2m 58s
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Become tech savvy4m 33s
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Focus on the person2m 37s
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Time management for students2m 59s
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Ending meetings with action1m 44s
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Building a not-to-do list2m 46s
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Avoiding the crowd mindset2m 58s
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Placing a value on your time3m 30s
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How to schedule a meeting3m 35s
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How to develop flexibility4m 19s
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The trouble with texting3m 48s
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Create a perhaps list4m 58s
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Reduce attention switches4m 46s
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Adapt your favorite app4m 33s
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Make time to get more time3m 49s
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Read vs. unread email3m 52s
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Make time to have fun3m 57s
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Create a morning ritual3m 23s
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When to create new homes3m 26s
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How to reduce spam3m 48s
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Why repetition saves time2m 48s
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Productive passwords2m 3s
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Productive web browser tips1m 51s
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Writing a productive email1m 55s
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Commit to your calendar1m 54s
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What to say instead of ASAP1m 46s
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Set voicemail expectations1m 43s
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Set email expectations1m 46s
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How to use an inbox1m 41s
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How to use an outbox1m 53s
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Video: Use background tasking to get more done