By Francis Wade
Friday, March 6, 2015.
Recent research has shown that Jamaica has more
female managers than any other country. Also, unrelated research shows that
women are better time managers.
Put the two together, and what
do you get? How Women Might Solve
Corporations’ Productivity Problems
While this certainly has
social ramifications, it also means that we can leverage the power that women
possess to solve our productivity problems.
However, the connection isn’t
as simple as it seems. People often say that women are better are multitasking
than men. Unfortunately, this is an oft repeated, but incorrect myth.
The confusion lies in the very
definition of the word. Sometimes we use the term “multitasking” to refer to
the juggling act that ambitious professionals must do to balance multiple
roles, projects and responsibilities. Brigid Shulte, author of “Overwhelmed,”
shared with me in a recent interview that women often assume the
responsibilities of managing the home, in addition to their jobs. This isn’t
real multitasking, it’s multi-project management.
Cognitive multitasking, which
involves repeatedly switching one’s attention from one task to another, is
where the modern challenge lies. Fuelled by new technology, we believe that by
checking email in meetings, sending messages in the middle of conversations and
texting while driving, are signs of being truly productive. Even worse:
research shows that those who think they are better at doing two demanding
tasks at the same time are fooling themselves: they are actually worse.
Fact: our brains are
hard-wired for single-tasking, in which the best results come from being
focused. Studies have shown that when we are forced to multitask in response to
stimuli like a constant influx of email, our IQ drops by ten points.
Furthermore, academic success has been linked to an individual’s ability to
reduce distractions, doing the hard work needed to complete complex tasks.
Many of us are confused about
the difference between the two kinds of multitasking, a fact I notice in my
work with companies. As a result, employees don’t know how to be productive. In
the absence of proper training, they mimic others in an attempt to get more
done. Given the fact that there are more female managers, they are more likely
to be copying a woman than a man.
The good news is that there
are also studies showing that women are better time managers. While time itself
cannot be managed, the research reveals that women are more at effective
creating “time demands” and keeping them alive over long periods of time. (A
time demand is an internal, individual commitment to complete an action in the
future.)
Where does this ability come
from? Studies show that women (and men) teach themselves critical skills as
adolescents and faithfully continue them as adults. This ability sets them
apart from their peers who might be just as intelligent, but don’t learn how to
be productive. (If you can’t recall doing so, that’s normal.)
Although it’s not clear why
teenage girls are able to pull this off, a good question to ask is: how can we
in Jamaica use our situation to benefit our companies? If you are a woman, here
are some ways to start.
1. Understand what
multitasking really means. Distinguish between managing multiple roles or
projects and cognitive multitasking. Teach others around you the pitfalls of
those who develop the habit of switching their attention from one task to
another. Explain the cost of “switch-tasking”: the small increment of time
that’s lost when they swap one task for another. Be prepared to explain the
difference over and over again until it becomes a widely understood fact.
2. Stop claiming that women
are better at multitasking. It’s a confusing message that implies that this
habit is somehow better. Instead, use facts and data: explain that women are
better at managing time demands, and tend to teach themselves better habits
that serve them later in life. Encourage others to do the same, even as you
personally cut out behaviors such as pretending to listen while doing other
tasks.
3. Give more time-based
feedback. In her recent book, The Non-verbal Advantage, Dr. Carol Kinsey Goman
showed that women have a capacity to give better feedback than men. They are
better at picking up nonverbal cues, listening and showing empathy. Use these
skills to step in and intervene. Coach others in ways to be productive by
helping them see how they compare to world-class standards. Remember, many of
your colleagues want to improve, but simply don’t know how. At the same time,
cut out the blighs given away so freely: they only reinforce low standards.
On the face of it, Jamaica
should be poised to improve its productivity because we have more female
managers who tend to be armed with better time demand management skills. It may
happen, but it will take the awareness, commitment and skills of one empowered
woman at a time.
Francis Wade is
a management consultant and author of Perfect Time-Based Productivity. To
receive a Summary of Links to past columns, or give feedback, please email him
at columns@fwconsulting.com