Talent Trade Tidbit - Toggling Vs. Multitasking

Ok, Boomer....or Gen Xer. Multitasking gets a bad name. But there's a new kid on the scene: toggling. And this isn't your father's multitasking...

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hi, this is Stephanie Maas.

(00:02):
Today I wanna tell you about one of my favorite new words for any of those of you that know me.
Know.
For the last almost two years, I have been doing tons of research on studying thedifferent generations in the workplace, specifically focusing on the millennials.
And anyway, it's.
Fascinating material, but one of my new words that I wasintroduced to through my research was the term toggling.

(00:27):
Toggling by definition basically is the ability to bounce fromone thing to another without a decrease in any kind of efficiency.
For Gen Xers and boomers, this was called multitasking.
However, if you do all research, if you Google like how effective is multitasking or efficiencieslost in multitasking, or whatever the case may be, you'll find tons and tons and tons of articles that talk about candidly how distracting and inefficient multitasking makes you.

(00:59):
Here is what is so fascinating.
Toggling is actually a term that is given to themillennials and then the next generation behind them.
It cannot apply to Gen Xers or Boomers.
And here's the reason why.
Since they were born, millennials have been training theirbrain because of their access to technology to toggle.

(01:23):
I think on average a millennial can toggle over 25 times an hour, where at best aGen Xer or a Boomer can multitask only, I think, if I remember correctly, I think the number's only 12 times an hour, but they have a very high inefficiency level during their multitasking where the millennial loses no inefficiency during toggling.

(01:51):
And again, the difference is because they have trained their brains in ways that.
Gen Xers and boomers have not.
So if you are a Gen Xer or if you're a boomer, and the next time you see a millennial toggling andyou feel the urge to lecture them or comment on how inefficient they're gonna be and how they're not really gonna do a good job, it's something 'cause they've got their earbuds in and they're writing a paper at the same time, and you know, looking at something else on another machine, you're wrong.

(02:20):
Unfortunately, you're wrong.
Chances are they're being very efficient.