Multi-tasking in the Digital/IT industry. A workplace productivity guide.

1. Multi-tasking Tips
(from a girl)
A Guide to Workplace Productivity
Lisa Phillips

2. Why Do I Qualify?
 Previous life as a Developer
 Worked in London as a Graphic Designer
 Spent last 5 years in various stages of Management
Each role requires a
very different level
of focus.

3. The Web Industry
 Constant distractions and disruptions

4. Procrastination
 Multitasking and Procrastination are bad mix.
 Figure out WHY you’re procrastinating.

5. Multitasking
 With all the disruptions, and volume of work –
without proper workflow and time management,
people can quickly get overwhelmed with their
workload.
 This produces poor work, can cause feelings of
anxiousness, job dissatisfaction and can compound
the issues until it feels as it is all too much to
handle.

6. Lisa’s Pick & Mix™
 There are a lot of Multitasking Practices and Time
Management Methodologies out there.
 Not all approaches work for everyone.
 Pick what works for you, & Mix it up a little.

7. Lisa’s Pick & Mix™
 Priorities
 Lists
 KNOW what you’re doing
 Plan
 Revise!

8. Lisa’s Pick & Mix™
 Effective Inbox Workflow

9. Lisa’s Pick & Mix™
 The Essentials
 Lists - a hand written checklist
 Post-It Notes strategically placed

10. Lisa’s Pick & Mix™
 You should always leave work in the evening
knowing what you will be doing in the office
tomorrow morning.
 Planning and Revising
 Immediate
 This Morning
 This Afternoon
 Tomorrow
 This Week
 Next Week

11. Multitasking Issues
 Downsides of Multi-Tasking

12. Work Efficiency
 The are other techniques to ensure that you get work
done efficiently:
 Only check your emails at certain times of the day.
 Turn off your distractions (including your mobile).
 No responding to email that you are CC’d in on.
 Only work between 8.30 – 5.30, NO other work outside
of these hours – this helps you to focus.
 Quarantine yourself
 Headphones

13. Time Management
 Time Management is a booming business
 Getting Things Done
 The Pomodoro Technique
 Inbox Zero
 Remember The Milk

14. Getting Things Done
 Essentially: Know what you need to do
 If an item requires action:
Do it
Delegate it
Defer it
 If an item does not require
action:
File it for reference
Throw it away
Incubate it
 Can be overly complex
 www.davidco.com

15. The Pomodoro
Technique
 The basic unit of work in the Pomodoro Technique™
can be split in five simple steps:
 Choose a task to be accomplished
 Set the Pomodoro timer to 25 minutes
 Work on the task until the Pomodoro rings, then put a
check on your sheet of paper
 Take a short break (5 minutes is OK)
 Every 4 Pomodoros take a longer break
 www.pomodorotechnique.com

16. Inbox Zero
 It’s about how to reclaim your email, your
attention, and your life.
“Clearly, the problem of email overload is
taking a toll on all our time, productivity, and
sanity, mainly because most of us lack a
cohesive system for processing our messages and
converting them into appropriate actions as quickly
as possible.”
- Merlin Mann - 43Folders
 www.inboxzero.com

17. Remember The Milk
 Focuses on Task Management
 Reminds you of your tasks via:
 Email
 Mobile Phone Applications (iPhone, Android, Blackberry)
 Google (Gmail, iGoogle Gadgets, Gears)
 NetVibes module
 Third Party Apps and Services
 Dashboard Widgets
 Quicksilver Plugin
 And many more…

18. Websites and Apps
 Google: Time Management
 Google: Multitasking
 iPhone App store has an entire category
dedicated to: Productivity

19. In Summary
 Figure out what works for you
 Try different methodologies
 Know what you’re going to do and when
 If you’re not sure of what to do next – Ask
 Revise your task lists often
 Don’t overdo the multitasking
 Don’t be put off –
I do know guys who are
great at multitasking.

20. Thanks
 Google Search and the Internet – for the research
help
 Flickr, iStockPhotos, Google Image Search – for
lending me images
 People I have spoken with - friends, colleagues…
and girls – for their input
 Past workplaces – that gave me so much work I
HAD to learn the Art of Multitasking
 Web Meetup – for its awesomeness