Soap box time. I’m anti-multitasking and I’m here to say why.

I have clients and colleagues who multi-task in an unproductive way: They make phone calls while concentrating on something else. (Often, they’re driving. Sometimes, they’re on their computers while also pretending to be on the phone with me.)

They think they’re being productive. They think they’re getting two things done at once. Let’s look at what they are actually communicating:

I’m not concentrating on the point of this phone call

These people lose track of the conversation. They struggle with simultaneous, competing thoughts, such as “Can I merge safely into traffic now?” and “What was I saying to Lindsay?”

In these conversations, the word “..uhh….” predominates, while they try to remember the point they want to make.

Let’s say a client calls me from her car to talk to me about web page content.  I guarantee you she’ll have trouble remembering  the word web page. So I hear… “Yeah, I’m thinking about, since the …uh, ….the uh…the web page…. uh, the uh….it’s… uh, design, we’ve changed it to, uh….to uh, ….it’s green now, maybe we should say uh….say uh…. ”

Frustrating, no? Big waste of my time, yes? I’ve had clients call with three minutes of information that takes them eight minutes to cough out.

(This is character-building: I have so far exercised enough patience to never demand , “What?!” from a distracted client. Of course, now, I’m ranting in a blog posting…)

When you’re multi-tasking, you reduce your ability to choose words quickly and wisely.  Often enough, I get a follow-up email (or even phone call) that goes over the same ground or clarifies a point badly made in the original phone call. This makes “multi-tasking” not an efficient way to kill-two-birds, it leads to extra effort over more time.

I don’t care enough about you to focus on you

Multi-taskers also communicate non-verbally. It’s disheartening, at the least, to have a conversation with someone who is concentrating more on the traffic than on our conversation. If the traffic needs your attention, get off the phone! You’re a danger to yourself and others.

Multi-tasking on the computer? If you’re typing an email while you’re talking to me, you’re telling me that I am not your priority. Do you think I can’t hear your keyboard clicking? Why did you call if you have no intention to focus on our conversation?

I’ve also had conversations with people who suddenly interject an odd scrap of news, “Wow, the Giant’s lost again!” That lets me know that they’re busy reading the Web while “talking” to me.

Think about this the next time you’re talking to a client or to a pal. How do you want them to perceive you? As caring? As interested in their business and their lives? Then pay attention.

Some people call it “multi-tasking,” but I call “letting yourself get distracted.”  But what we’re going to call it doesn’t matter, what matters is what you’re getting accomplished.

• Are you speaking with clarity and efficiency?
• Are you focusing on the person you’re speaking with?

Deliver a message that says I’m focused on the topic and on you. You might find that single-tasking saves you time, energy, your reputation and friendships.