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Why Single-Tasking Is In & Multitasking Is Out

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For years multitasking has been the darling of the business world, and most of us have bought into the theory that the key to productivity and success is doing two or three or, heck, maybe four things at a time.

After all, why just have lunch when you can also use that time to check your work email, send a few personal texts, and ask Siri a pressing question? The key to success is to be as busy and productive as possible, right?

Well, not so much, as it turns out. As more studies emerge about success and productivity, it seems the tables are turning on multitasking. In fact, one study reports that we’re about 50% less productive when tackling two or more tasks at a time because our brains are wired to concentrate on one thing at a time. Multitasking is most likely hurting our productivity, rather than boosting it.

Think about a time when you were fully concentrating on a report for work, or writing a business proposal, or perhaps making a special meal. How many times did your phone ring, or your email chime, or your texts ping? Did you answer the ring, chime, ping, or whatever sound your devices make?

If you’re like most of us, chances are you did, or you at least checked to see who the notification was coming from. Then, after you took the call or checked your device, did it take you a minute or two to get back into the mindset of what you were doing before the distraction? If it did, it means you’re human.

As we learn more about the damage to our productivity that multitasking can cause, more business owners are turning to virtual receptionists at live answering services to handle distracting tasks like answering calls. Some choose to have virtual receptionists handle their calls during staff meetings or during the busiest times of the day, while others are turning over their calls 24 hours a day.

What these business owners are finding is that virtual receptionists at a live answering service become an extension of the team by removing the distraction factor of interruptions for the rest of the staff. Plus, the virtual receptionists at an answering service are professionally trained to give each call the time and attention it deserves, which makes the business’s customers happy.

The virtual receptionists customize how they handle each call based on the business’s priorities, answer frequently asked questions, and distinguish between urgent and non-urgent calls. Plus, they can help with other administrative tasks such as scheduling or confirming appointments, responding to email inquiries, taking orders, or even screening job candidates.

Meanwhile, staff members are free to concentrate on their tasks knowing they’ll only be interrupted when absolutely necessary. This ability to single-task, as it turns out, proves to be much more productive—not to mention less stressful, what a relief—than multitasking.

Voice Link of Columbus, Inc. offers state-of-the-art technology solutions delivered by friendly, service-oriented virtual receptionists who provide customized customer service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Our team of professional receptionists goes beyond call answering to assist you with communications and business solutions so that you can focus on working as distraction-free as possible.

We offer month-to-month service agreements to meet the needs of any business regardless of size. Our excellent reputation, expert staff, and state-of-the-art technology will exceed your expectations. To learn more, request information online or call us at (800) 262-2799 for a free consultation.