Multitasking at Work: Should You Do It Without Extra Pay and What Does It Really Mean?

Hi all,

I am good-bad-sometimes worst at multitasking. Is it advisable to do multitasking at the desk even though not getting paid for it? What does 'multitasking' include? Is it the work other than specified in the appointment letter, or is it interest-based? Is it person-centric? Is it an addiction? Can we demand extra payment or does the letter indicate helping and assisting all employees at the office through multitasking?

Please suggest any books on multitasking.

Regards,
durgasprasad

Hi Durga,

Today, in a competitive world, it is important for every individual to be good at multitasking. It is a trait that adds to your skills, and one needs to develop it in order to prove oneself.

We cannot demand extra pay, nor can we expect it to be one of the main criteria in the offer letter as it always comes with the package.

Multitasking, as such, comes with practice. So, if you are good at it, practice more to be the best!

Always remember, SMART work is better recognized than HARD work.

Good luck!

Bdavid

Dear Mr. Durgaprasad,

Season's Greetings.

Multitasking involves every aspect of both professional and personal life. In professional terms, I would like to mention that during my career, I was assigned 4 different projects from various clients: Airbus, Forex, Ferrari, and Indian Railways. As 3 of them were international assignments, it was a nightmare for me to handle all 4 projects simultaneously. However, with proper planning and the support of my seniors and team members, I was able to achieve success. I am proud to say that my team and I completed the projects in record time and received appreciation from both Google and the clients.

I want to reiterate that multitasking is a skill that tests your ability to thrive in both professional and personal life. A great example of multitasking that I truly admire is that of a mother. I encourage you to reflect on this and share your thoughts with me.

Best of luck with your multitasking endeavors, and remember that we are here to support you. Feel free to reach out if you encounter any challenges during multitasking.

Regards,

SACHIN G
Lead 3- Project Leader,
IT Network Security Specialist,
Asia Pacific Region, Google, India.

Oh, great Sachin! Thank you for the prompt reply. Here, I stress that can one person handle works of many kinds, of different types at the same time? (Please do not 'Mother'ise it as it is done at the desk in the office, and I hope one can't see these things as a mother does.) The hope is that one can 'smartly' delegate them to others or highlight the need for manpower at the desk when able persons are not in the vicinity. Which one is preferable? Can you suggest to me?

Thanking you,
Durgasprasad

As Sparky pointed out, multitasking has been shown to not be very productive. There is some recent literature on this which you can find by doing a search.

While it might help the ego for a while, in most cases, it might not be advantageous.