Multitasking: A Value Added Skill
By : Mohd Raziff Alias (Senior Scientific Officer C44)
The public service has certainly changed with times. The role and duties of civil servants have also changed with new policies, new circulars, new expectations and customer needs. The era of one-job-one-task is no longer relevant today. Today, the burden, urgency and complexity of the working environment have changed. These changes demand that the public servant be able to multitask in their daily work.
The definition of multitasking is the ability to carry out more than one task at a time. For example, an individual can answer phone calls but at the same time reply emails or draft a letter. There is now less number of people to undertake the increasing burden of work. The challenges at work are also far more demanding with the rapid advancement in ICT. Therefore, multitasking is very necessary for civil servants to fulfill this demand without compromising the work quality.
An organization always prefers those who are able to multitask. This skill can help an organization to achieve their goals. It will also maximize the human resource capacity and potential, save cost on the number of employed staff, reduce the time taken to complete certain tasks and minimize bureaucracy. However, multitasking also has a dark side. People can easily lose their focus and fail to fulfill each of the multitasking needs. So, what is the best recipe to perform multitasking?
Multitasking is based on two important principles. The first is effective time management. Second is the concentration in equilibrium and individual comfort. Based on these two elements, the following are some guidelines for implementing multitasking;
1. Give priority to the task
Tasks come in various shapes and quantities; can sometimes be planned or unplanned. Classifying tasks by priority is an important step in multitasking. Important and urgent tasks always come first while the less important and light tasks go to the bottom of the list. The efficiency of the individual performing multitasking depends on the level of diversification of their ability to classify tasks. There are many methods that can be used such as the Covey Time Management Matrix, Maslow Theory and Pareto’s Law (80:20 rule).
2. Avoid distractions that prevent multitasking
Within the 8-9 hours working period, there will always be distractions that could disturb you while performing multitasking. These can be unnecessary phone calls, emails or colleagues. Try to avoid these unless they are really important or during an emergency. Focus on your tasks and discipline yourself to say “NO” to distractions.
3. The focus, energy, time and effort at objectivity
Each task performed should have clear objectives. In this case, task-planning is very important to ensure what objectives to be achieved at the end of the day. Therefore, you have to concentrate, focus and optimized your energy at a higher level.
4. Identify task requirement
Preparation is important in any job whatsoever. Planning is everything. List all the tasks by priority and then prepare the requirement to perform the task, physically and mentally.
5. Pay attention to the options available and be ready to make a decision
The effectiveness of multitasking also depends on decision-making skills. Slow and inappropriate decision-making process will disturb the whole system of tasks. A good strategy is to consider all the options available and ready with every possible solution.
6. Be prepared in difficult situations to achieve several things at the same time
The daily task situation will be constantly changing. There are times when tasks are simple but often tasks come with a range of difficulty and more challenging. For that, we should always be prepared and be ready with a systematic plan to ensure that multiple tasks can be done at the same time.
7. To find a job according to your criteria use the filters. If you find a job suitable for you, you can apply to it. Do not forget to fill out your profile before that, you will have more chances to get a job. Multitasking as an opportunity to learn something new
Bear in mind that multitasking is not a burden; it should be seen as a learning process. Maybe the tasks given are outside your comfort or skill zone, but take them as challenges and as opportunities to learn something new. The biggest loser is the one who never try.
In summary, multitasking is a value added skill to an organization. Individuals with these skills will be able to support the direction of the organization better. Everyone is capable of doing multitasking in daily activities depending on how far you want to accept the challenge and dare to walk outside the shell. Without trying we do not know our potentials. Keep on moving forward and be a better personnel each day.
Inspired and Adapted from:
Kursus Peranan Kepelbagaian Tugas Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam