Management hack: Vertical days
This is really more of a personal management hack than a personnel management hack, but I think it scales pretty well–I’ve had an entire office take vertical days from time to time. And actually, I like this so well that this isn’t the first time I’ve written about it.
The concept is super simple. You just do one thing all day long, with no interruptions. Hence, “vertical day.” Really, though, you don’t have to dedicate a whole day to vertical-ness (verticality?). You can go vertical for an hour or two and reap huge rewards. In fact, Lisa Haneberg has a great webcast about exactly this idea, though she calls it “chunking.” Personally, I prefer “vertical day” even if you don’t take a whole day to do it. You’ll get so much done that you might as well call it a day. Besides, I think the word “chunking” makes my butt look big. Or something.
Vertical days are the antivenin to multitasking, which is taking a bit of a hit these days. Multitasking used to be hot. I think I even had it on my resume for a while (posesses strong multitasking skills). Thinking about that now brings back the same kind of feelings I have when I remember my mullet and parachute pants.
I’m not sure I buy into all the current hype about the evils of multitasking. I mean, I can’t exactly drive a car without multitasking, right? (ie, downshift using both feet and one hand while steering while listening to the radio and looking in the mirror to make sure that guy doesn’t drive into me, etc) Some contexts simply require multitasking. Others, not so much. Like any good thing, multitasking can be abused to the point that it makes us less productive and/or effective. Witness all the high minded scholarly research.
I say multitask to the extent neccessary, but no more. And just to offset any damage done, schedule a vertical day now and then, just to clean things up. As one commenter pointed out in this old Flickr thread, it’s perfectly normal and acceptable to do more than one thing at once. Just be mindful of the context and choose wisely.
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POSTED IN: management, management hack, productivity
2 opinions for Management hack: Vertical days
Don
Jun 30, 2006 at 4:00 pm
I suspect the “evils of multitasking” apply mainly when each task really requires that you attend to it fully. Driving a car is not necessarily a multitasking situation because many of the activities involved can be accomplished semi-consciously.
There’s a qualitative difference between reading an e-mail while talking on the phone and changing gears while keeping an eye on the driver who seems to be thinking about changing lanes. The e-mail and the phone require that you sacrifice attending to one in order to attend to the other. Changing gears — once you’ve gotten the hang of it — is something that can be accomplished with minimal cognitive investment, freeing up your attention for other things.
Talking on the phone while keeping an eye on other drivers — particularly if you perceive a possibly dangerous situation emerging — is an attempt at multitasking in the sense that I’m considering it. In my experience (which might not generalize to others), if I’m talking on my hands-free while attending to a potentially dangerous driving situation, I can’t pay attention to both. (For the record, I will generally attend to the driving situation.)
Just a thought.
Don
Deb Johnson
Jul 27, 2006 at 11:04 am
In my search for Covey’s 7 habits, and some new 8th habit, this site caught my eye and the topic caught my attention, but only for a while, while I avoid my multi-tasking job of documenting processes and procedures.
The word “concentrate” comes to mind as the antithesis to multi-task, but then again, maybe not.
I agree that true multi-tasking can and usually occurs after one has mastered the decomposed series of tasks that make up a process. For instance, to review a life insurance application for accuracy, missing information, all compliant forms and several other facts, while inputting the data into a computer system, can be detailed out in a series of tasks, a+b+c+d, etc., which might, by themselves, when added with simple math take 60 minutes to do. After someone trained and skilled in knowing what facts to “focus upon” and how to “multi-task” we might find that a+b+c+d, etc. times an “x” factor decrease the time it takes to do the process, assuming the person can fully “concentrate” on the one process at hand.
Sometimes, I think what we mean by multi-tasking is the ability to move quickly from one set of tasks or processes to another set of task or processes. Can a person answer the phone and still efficiently perform their other duties without missing a beat? Can a police officer take a call from dispatch while driving a unit, maintain composure and maintain a sense of direction?
For me, scheduling a vertical day would mean being able to stay at home and focus on cleaning my house. Mind you, cleaning my house involves a series of tasks, of which I might choose to quickly jump from one to the other, without missing a beat.