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Multitasking Is a Myth. "To do two things at once is to do neither." Publilius Syrus, 100 A.D., Roman philosopher. About the Presenters. Jeromey Sheets, Ed.D . 15 year veteran principal Has led four schools Past President of OAESA NAESP State Representative - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Multitasking Is a Myth
"To do two things at once is to do neither."
Publilius Syrus, 100 A.D., Roman philosopher
About the PresentersJeromey Sheets, Ed.D. 15 year veteran principal Has led four schools Past President of OAESA NAESP State
Representative Last school earned 8/8 on
Ohio Report Card One OAESA Hall of Fame
School
Paul Young, Ph.D. 19 year veteran principal Has led four schools Past President of OAESA Past President of NAESP Last school earned highest
district scores in reading (Gr. 1, 4 & 6)
Two OAESA Hall of Fame Schools
Retired CEO, National AfterSchool Association
Principals faceNEW DEMANDS
but often with insufficient resources
There appear to be no “edges” to the work
As a Result…You May Have Hit a Brick Wall When
You …• dread Monday mornings• never seem to be able to catch up• always run behind schedule• overlook or forget obligations• lose energy and passion for work• feel stressed or depressed• can no longer balance work and family
obligations• your office is always in a state of chaos• fail to have fun
“You cannot be burned out unless you first have caught on fire!”
Presentation Goals
• improve a vision of time management
• help principals reduce stress and increase their productivity
• effectively organize a principal’s work day
• rethink common practices related to multitasking
Review and further develop strategies that…
If you continue to do what you’ve already been doing, don’t be
surprised if you continue to get the same results –
and still feel stressed out!
Trying to “Do It All”
Really Means “Nothing Done
Well”
Multitasking may seem to be saving time, but
psychologists, neuroscientists, and other researchers report that it causes stress and makes
us less efficient
Multitasking Bans
Multitasking Bans • College classrooms - students using laptops
inappropriately (e-mails, instant messages, Web surfing, playing games)
• Airline industry - “Sterile cockpit” rule• Hospitals – nurses’ administration of medication• Cell phones usage while driving in most countries• Nineteen states ban texting while driving• Business - Quiet hours/days
With some simple tweaks in the environment, positive behaviors can be developed.
What might look like a people problem is more often a situation problem.
• Humans multitask• Decide when and when not
to multitask• If you must multitask, the
focus on the primary task must not be more important than those that are secondary
The Reality of Multitasking
POLLWhich of these
three job-related priorities do you think have been pushed aside in
your daily schedule because of
multitasking and/or excessive demands
on your time?
1. Time to read2. Time to work
with students3. Time for
coaching staff members
Understand A Key Differential in Multitasking
Active switchtaskingPassive switchtasking
The Brain Cannot Toggle Effectively
W r i t e t h i s s e n t e n c e o n e l e t t e r a t a t i m e.
W________________________________________________.1_________________________________________________.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
W________________________________________________.1_________________________________________________.
The Sample Test
Modified from The Myth of Multitasking, 2008, Dave Crenshaw, Jossey-Bass
Active and Passive Switchtasking
Cue/start at about 1:10 – end at approx. 3:00
1 to 1 Huddles - Switchbuster by Dave CrenshawLearn how “1 to 1 Huddles” could become
an effective strategy that leads to effective communication and direction for
principals’ key staff
Cue to approx. 1:06
Typical Slice of Your Day?10:00 research and write/type report (due after lunch)10:10 respond to secretary, custodian, or staff question10:11 return to writing/typing – must review10:16 call from superintendent, change of meeting time10:17 email inbox message sounded (ding!!)10:18 read email, then catch up on others10:20 reply to email from parent10:22 return to writing/typing report – must
proofread10:25 staff member stop-in question “got a minute?”10:30 call/question about intervention for a child
Private Restroom for
a Multitasking
Principal
Most Common Interruptions
• “Got a minute?”• walk-in visitors• e-mail audibly arriving in your
inbox• land-phone calls• cell-phone calls• office noises; staff questions• voluntary switching between
tasks• being called away for assistance
You can have several programs and/or screens
open at once on your desktop,
but you can only think about one at a time
Despite what many of us think, you cannot
simultaneously e-mail and talk on the phone
Can you recognize the “email voice”?
POLLWhat distractor would you most
like to address in order to
restructure your workday, avoid
interruptions, and avoid the dangers of active switching
1. “Got a minute?”
2. Office referrals (students)
3. Parent walk-ins
Multitasking Can Set a Poor Example
Does this ever happen in your school?
You may not have flagrant examples of multitasking addicts
in your school, but you may have…
• teachers/students using social media during class time
• cell phone calls in classrooms• hallway/outdoors distractions• unstructured interruptions• AND MUCH MORE
You need…• uninterrupted work blocks• think time• self-awareness• awareness of others• clear communications• less stress• structure in your day• visibility
You Don’t Need More…• iPads• iPods• iPhones• PDAs• Computers• Pagers• Fax machines• Email addresses• New methods, accessories, or tools
“The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.”
--anonymous
A Dilemma for Leaders…
No matter how busy you think you are, you must always take time to make other people feel
important
Create an expectation of availability
Can You Categorize and Quantify Your Daily
Work? • Talking• Listening• Walking• Typing/Writing• Reading• Thinking• Reacting
POLL
Of the categorical tasks that comprise principals’ daily work, which do you think consumes the most of your time each day?
1. Talking2. Listening3. Walking4. Typing/
Writing5. Reading6. Thinking7. Reacting
New Practices - New Realities• Perfect the practice of visioning• Develop a comfortable work plan• Organize• Empower• Delegate• Know your facts – but drill them
deeper• Keep the “Monkeys” Off Your Back
Keep the Monkeys Off Your Back
• “Monkeys” are problems teachers deal with (student behavior)
• Don’t take on problems that should be handled at a lower level of the school hierarchy
• Empower staff• Be decisive
Improve Your Mental Health – Simplify Your Work
• Set up to-do lists (calls, computer, errands, home, waiting-for, etc.)
• Use a capture tool (such as a notes app or notebook) • Have one physical and one email inbox • Plan your day in blocks (work and miscellaneous tasks) • First thing in the morning, work on your Most
Important Task • Turn off distractions (email, Internet, cell phone)• Train yourself to avoid the urge to check email or
switch tasks• Train your secretary and staff when you MUST be
interrupted• Process your email and other inboxes at regular and
pre-determined intervals • Take breaks, enjoy life, go outside, exercise, and
appreciate nature
What if your Principal work day looked like this?
7:15 office (email; US mail; paperwork; planning)
7:45 meeting with custodian or secretary
8:00 meeting with secretary or custodian
8:15 open door time for staff8:45 open door time for
community9:00 opening activities9:05 open door time for
community9:25 walk-throughs10:00 phone calls; email; note
writing10:15 Work Block – I11:00 observations11:30 lunch/playground
12:00 open office (teachers, staff, visitors) 12:45 phone calls; email; US Mail; office staff
time1:00 Work Block - II1:30 observations2:15 walk-throughs2:30 scheduled meetings3:15 open door time for community3:30 dismissal3:35 open door time for community; staff4:00 phone calls; email; meetings4:15 Work Block – III5:00 home 5:30 exercise
Family TimeYou must be able to envision your day before, not as, it unfolds
What if your Assistant Principal or Afterschool Program Director days were synched?
10:00 office (email; US mail; paperwork; planning)10:15 meeting with custodian or secretary10:20 meeting with custodian or secretary10:30 Work Block - I11:30 office (email; US mail; paperwork; planning) 11:45 open door time for staff12:00 open door time for community12:15 lunch/conference time12:45 office (email; US mail; paperwork; planning)1:00 Work Block – II2:00 program preparations3:00 open time for after school staff3:30 program supervision4:00 collaboration with school staff4:30 email; phone calls; planning4:45 open time for parents5:30 program wrap-up6:00 home6:30 exercise
Family Time
You must be able to envision your day before, not as, it unfolds.
Tips for the Road• Set clear, attainable expectations • Respect the time your key staff needs with
you• Always have your calendar with you and
never commit to a meeting or adjourn one without scheduling all the stakeholders for the next one
• Always allow travel time between your activities
• Train your staff and community to work with your schedule
• Learn to walk and talk – meeting in motion (perhaps one multitasking activity we can do)
• Revise your schedule as needed
Slow and Steady Wins
the Race
Potential Achilles Heels• Desire/Determination• Visionless culture• Calendar management• Coordinating• Clutter • Habits• Delegation• Empowerment• Recurring Meetings• Follow-up• Lack of Fitness• Always Saying Yes!
You can’t implement or achieve any successful change process without
practice
What is Multitasking?Just a polite way of
telling someone that you haven’t heard a
word they said
The challenge to get things done is yours
Only you can decide to commit to a change
process that will improve your work habits
Meet Us In Nashville!!Share your vision of positive
school culture with other principals
• Saturday, July 12, 10:15-11:45 a.m.• Canal C – Gaylord Opryland Resort
and Convention Center
Suggested Readings• Allen, D. (2001). Getting things done. New York: Viking Penguin Group.• Author (2004). We Weren't Made To Multitask. ScienceDaily. American
Physiological Society. June 8. • Blanchard, K. Oncken, W. & Burrows, H. (1989). The one minute manager meets
the monkey. New York: William Morrow and Company.• Crenshaw, D. (2008). The myth of multitasking. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.• Heath, C. & Heath, D. (2010).
Switch. How to change things when change is hard. New York, Broadway Books.• Lehrer, J. (2009). How we decide. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. • Linenberger, M. (2010). Master your workday now!
San Ramon, CA: New Academy Publishers.• Rosen, C. (2008) The Myth of Multitasking. The New Atlantis
, Number 20, p. 105-110.• Rubinstein, J., Meyer, D., & Evans, J. (2001).
Executive Control of Cognitive Processes in Task Switching. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 27 (4), 763-797.
• Shellenbarger, S. (2003). Multitasking Makes You Stupid: Studies Show Pitfalls of Doing Too Much at Once. Wall Street Journal; New York, 02-27-2003.
• Weimer, M. (2012). Students Think They Can Multitask. Here’s Proof They Can’t. www.facultyfocus.com
Presenter Contact Information
Jeromey M. Sheets, Ed.D.
2625 Wheeling Rd NE Lancaster, OH 43130 740-503-0617 (C) 740-654-1820 (H) [email protected]
Paul G. Young, Ph.D.485 Crestview Drive
Lancaster, OH 43130614-296-4246 (C)
740-653-6553 (H) [email protected]