Our brains just aren’t wired for multitasking, at least not the things that require brainpower. Our short-term memories can only store so much simultaneously. Yes, it’s a flaw of humanity. We really can’t do more than one thing at a time very well, and it’s hard to be good at anything if you’re not doing it well.

When information doesn’t make it into short-term memory, it can’t be transferred into long-term memory for recall later. That means if a project has a learning curve, you’re going to hit it every time if you’re not concentrating. Multitasking is making you less efficient, as well as more annoying and even dangerous (yes, you if you text and drive).

Just try it. Stop bringing your laptop to meetings and listen to what’s being said. Stop chatting with co-workers and shopping for that brushed nickel kitchen faucet while combing through your spreadsheet. Do one thing at a time and build those concentration muscles. That’s how you get good at stuff.

About NextGen

NextGen is the brainchild of longtime telecom professionals with nearly 50 years of experience and millions of dollars in Telecom Recruiting Services. We focus on establishing long term relationships with our clients and candidates so we can recruit the best and the brightest in the telecom industry. This ‘quality over quantity’ approach is at the heart of everything we do and has resulted in successful job placements at Fortune 1000 firms worldwide.