Multitasking Is a Myth

1. Multitasking Is a Myth "To do two things at once is to do neither." Publilius Syrus, 100 A.D., Roman philosopher

2. About the Presenters Jeromey Sheets, Ed.D. • 15 year veteran principal • Has led four schools • Past President of OAESA • NAESP State Representative • Last school earned 8/8 on Ohio Report Card • One OAESA Hall of Fame School Paul Young, Ph.D. • 19 year veteran principal • Has led four schools • Past President of OAESA • Past President of NAESP • Last school earned highest district scores in reading (Gr. 1, 4 & 6) • Two OAESA Hall of Fame Schools • Retired CEO, National AfterSchool Association

3. Principals faceNEW DEMANDSbut often with insufficient resources There appear to be no “edges” to the work

4. As a Result…You May Have Hit a Brick Wall When You … • dread Monday mornings • never seem to be able to catch up • always run behind schedule • overlook or forget obligations • lose energy and passion for work • feel stressed or depressed • can no longer balance work and family obligations • your office is always in a state of chaos • fail to have fun “You cannot be burned out unless you first have caught on fire!”

5. Presentation Goals Review and further develop strategies that… • improve a vision of time management • help principals reduce stress and increase their productivity • effectively organize a principal’s work day • rethink common practices related to multitasking

6. If you continue to do what you’ve already been doing, don’t be surprised if you continue to get the same results – and still feel stressed out!

7. Trying to “Do It All” Really Means “Nothing Done Well”

8. Multitasking may seem to be saving time, but psychologists, neuroscientists, and other researchers report that it causes stress and makes us less efficient

9. Multitasking Bans

10. Multitasking Bans College classrooms - students using laptops inappropriately (e-mails, instant messages, Web surfing, playing games) Airline industry - “Sterile cockpit” rule Hospitals – nurses’ administration of medication Cell phones usage while driving in most countries Nineteen states ban texting while driving Business - Quiet hours/days With some simple tweaks in the environment, positive behaviors can be developed. What might look like a people problem is more often a situation problem.

11. The Reality of Multitasking • Humans multitask • Decide when and when not to multitask • If you must multitask, the focus on the primary task must not be more important than those that are secondary

12. POLL Which of these three job-related priorities do you think have been pushed aside in your daily schedule because of multitasking and/or excessive demands on your time? 1. Time to read 2. Time to work with students 3. Time for coaching staff members

13. Understand A Key Differential in Multitasking Active switchtasking Passive switchtasking

14. The Brain Cannot Toggle Effectively W r i t e t h i s s e n t e n c e o n e l e t t e r a t a t i m e. W________________________________________________. 1_________________________________________________. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ W________________________________________________. 1_________________________________________________. The Sample Test Modified from The Myth of Multitasking, 2008, Dave Crenshaw, Jossey-Bass

15. Active and Passive Switchtasking Cue/start at about 1:10 – end at approx. 3:00

16. Cue to approx. 1:06 1 to 1 Huddles - Switchbuster by Dave Crenshaw Learn how “1 to 1 Huddles” could become an effective strategy that leads to effective communication and direction for principals’ key staff

17. Typical Slice of Your Day? 10:00 research and write/type report (due after lunch) 10:10 respond to secretary, custodian, or staff question 10:11 return to writing/typing – must review 10:16 call from superintendent, change of meeting time 10:17 email inbox message sounded (ding!!) 10:18 read email, then catch up on others 10:20 reply to email from parent 10:22 return to writing/typing report – must proofread 10:25 staff member stop-in question “got a minute?” 10:30 call/question about intervention for a child

18. Private Restroom for a Multitasking Principal

19. Most Common Interruptions • “Got a minute?” • walk-in visitors • e-mail audibly arriving in your inbox • land-phone calls • cell-phone calls • office noises; staff questions • voluntary switching between tasks • being called away for assistance

20. You can have several programs and/or screens open at once on your desktop, but you can only think about one at a time

21. Despite what many of us think, you cannot simultaneously e-mail and talk on the phone Can you recognize the “email voice”?

22. POLL What distractor would you most like to address in order to restructure your workday, avoid interruptions, and avoid the dangers of active switching 1. “Got a minute?” 2. Office referrals (students) 3. Parent walk-ins

23. Multitasking Can Set a Poor Example Does this ever happen in your school?

24. You may not have flagrant examples of multitasking addicts in your school, but you may have… teachers/students using social media during class time cell phone calls in classrooms hallway/outdoors distractions unstructured interruptions AND MUCH MORE

25. You need… • uninterrupted work blocks • think time • self-awareness • awareness of others • clear communications • less stress • structure in your day • visibility

26. You Don’t Need More… • iPads • iPods • iPhones • PDAs • Computers • Pagers • Fax machines • Email addresses • New methods, accessories, or tools

27. “The hurrier I go, the behinder I get.”--anonymous

28. A Dilemma for Leaders… No matter how busy you think you are, you must always take time to make other people feel important

29. Create an expectation of availability

31. Can You Categorize and Quantify Your Daily Work? • Talking • Listening • Walking • Typing/Writing • Reading • Thinking • Reacting

32. POLL Of the categorical tasks that comprise principals’ daily work, which do you think consumes the most of your time each day? • Talking • Listening • Walking • Typing/Writing • Reading • Thinking • Reacting

33. New Practices - New Realities • Perfect the practice of visioning • Develop a comfortable work plan • Organize • Empower • Delegate • Know your facts – but drill them deeper • Keep the “Monkeys” Off Your Back

34. Keep the Monkeys Off Your Back • “Monkeys” are problems teachers deal with (student behavior) • Don’t take on problems that should be handled at a lower level of the school hierarchy • Empower staff • Be decisive

35. Improve Your Mental Health – Simplify Your Work • Set up to-do lists (calls, computer, errands, home, waiting-for, etc.) • Use a capture tool (such as a notes app or notebook) • Have one physical and one email inbox • Plan your day in blocks(work and miscellaneous tasks) • First thing in the morning, work on your Most Important Task • Turn off distractions(email, Internet, cell phone) • Train yourself to avoid the urge to check email or switch tasks • Train your secretary and staff when you MUST be interrupted • Process your email and other inboxes at regular and pre-determined intervals • Take breaks, enjoy life, go outside, exercise, and appreciate nature

36. What if your Principal work day looked like this? 7:15 office (email; US mail; paperwork; planning) 7:45 meeting with custodian or secretary 8:00 meeting with secretary or custodian 8:15 open door time for staff 8:45 open door time for community 9:00 opening activities 9:05 open door time for community 9:25 walk-throughs 10:00 phone calls; email; note writing 10:15 Work Block – I 11:00 observations 11:30 lunch/playground 12:00 open office (teachers, staff, visitors) 12:45 phone calls; email; US Mail; office staff time 1:00 Work Block - II 1:30 observations 2:15 walk-throughs 2:30 scheduled meetings 3:15 open door time for community 3:30 dismissal 3:35 open door time for community; staff 4:00 phone calls; email; meetings 4:15 Work Block – III 5:00 home 5:30 exercise Family Time You must be able to envision your day before, not as, it unfolds

37. What if your Assistant Principal or Afterschool Program Directordays were synched? 10:00 office (email; US mail; paperwork; planning) 10:15 meeting with custodian or secretary 10:20 meeting with custodian or secretary 10:30 Work Block - I 11:30 office (email; US mail; paperwork; planning) 11:45 open door time for staff 12:00 open door time for community 12:15 lunch/conference time 12:45 office (email; US mail; paperwork; planning) 1:00 Work Block – II 2:00 program preparations 3:00 open time for after school staff 3:30 program supervision 4:00 collaboration with school staff 4:30 email; phone calls; planning 4:45 open time for parents 5:30 program wrap-up 6:00 home 6:30 exercise Family Time You must be able to envision your day before, not as, it unfolds.

38. Tips for the Road • Set clear, attainable expectations • Respect the time your key staff needs with you • Always have your calendar with you and never commit to a meeting or adjourn one without scheduling all the stakeholders for the next one • Always allow travel time between your activities • Train your staff and community to work with your schedule • Learn to walk and talk – meeting in motion (perhaps one multitasking activity we can do) • Revise your schedule as needed

39. Slow and Steady Wins the Race

40. Potential Achilles Heels • Desire/Determination • Visionless culture • Calendar management • Coordinating • Clutter • Habits • Delegation • Empowerment • Recurring Meetings • Follow-up • Lack of Fitness • Always Saying Yes!

41. You can’t implement or achieve any successful change process without practice

42. What is Multitasking? Just a polite way of telling someone that you haven’t heard a word they said

43. The challenge to get things done is yours Only you can decide to commit to a change process that will improve your work habits

44. Meet Us In Nashville!!Share your vision of positive school culture with other principals • Saturday, July 12, 10:15-11:45 a.m. • Canal C – Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center

46. Suggested Readings • Allen, D. (2001). Getting things done. New York: Viking Penguin Group. • Author (2004). We Weren't Made To Multitask. ScienceDaily. American Physiological Society. June 8. • Blanchard, K. Oncken, W. & Burrows, H. (1989). The one minute manager meets the monkey. New York: William Morrow and Company. • Crenshaw, D. (2008). The myth of multitasking. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. • Heath, C. & Heath, D. (2010). Switch. How to change things when change is hard. New York, Broadway Books. • Lehrer, J. (2009). How we decide. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. • Linenberger, M. (2010). Master your workday now! San Ramon, CA: New Academy Publishers. • Rosen, C. (2008) The Myth of Multitasking. The New Atlantis, Number 20, p. 105-110. • Rubinstein, J., Meyer, D., & Evans, J. (2001). Executive Control of Cognitive Processes in Task Switching. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 27 (4), 763-797. • Shellenbarger, S. (2003). Multitasking Makes You Stupid: Studies Show Pitfalls of Doing Too Much at Once. Wall Street Journal; New York, 02-27-2003. • Weimer, M. (2012). Students Think They Can Multitask. Here’s Proof They Can’t. www.facultyfocus.com

47. Presenter Contact Information Jeromey M. Sheets, Ed.D. 2625 Wheeling Rd NE Lancaster, OH 43130 740-503-0617 (C) 740-654-1820 (H) j_sheets@lancaster.k12.oh.us www.lancaster.k12.oh.us Paul G. Young, Ph.D. 485 Crestview Drive Lancaster, OH 43130 614-296-4246 (C) 740-653-6553 (H) paulyoungohio@gmail.com www.youngprinciples.com