Your Career: Is multitasking doing more harm than good for your work life?

You pay a price, in productivity, for all that juggling of research, teaching, and service. ADVERTISEMENT [Your Career Logo]( Did someone forward you this newsletter? [Sign up free]( to receive your own copy. You can now read The Chronicle on [Apple News]( [Flipboard]( and [Google News](. You pay a price, in productivity, for all that juggling of research, teaching, and service. Academic life seems designed to encourage multitasking, and at some point, professors must have thought that was a good thing. But is it? Multitasking is like shifting gears in the mind. Work becomes fragmented when you are switching from one task to another. You end up stringing fragments together to restore a common thread in one task. It is extra effort above what is needed to actually perform the task. Many people believe that by multitasking you can accomplish more. But doing things in parallel is impossible if the activities require some amount of mental effort. You can’t pay attention in a Zoom meeting and answer questions in a discussion forum at the same time. You may think you can, but when you try to do both simultaneously, what you’re actually doing is switching your attention, often rapidly. And when you shift your attention, there’s a cost — the time needed to reorient to a new activity. Problems occur when you can’t leave behind information from the previous task completely (say, an upsetting email you just received), and it then interferes with your concentration on the task at hand. It’s clear — based on years of research practices in laboratories and other settings — that people make more errors when they multitask. Continue reading: “[Multitasking Is the Enemy of Academic Productivity]( by Gloria Mark Share your suggestions for the newsletter with Denise Magner, an editor at The Chronicle, at denise.magner@chronicle.com. If you’d like to opt out, you can log in to our website and [manage your newsletter preferences here.]( ADVERTISEMENT UPCOMING PROGRAM [The Chronicle's Strategic-Leadership Program for Department Chairs] [Join us in June]( for a virtual professional development program which will provide the space, time, and tools to help department chairs take on the challenges and opportunities of the role. Through workshops, high-level seminars, and individual development plans, chairs will think strategically about their departmental and institutional impact. [Register today!]( NEWSLETTER [Sign Up for the Teaching Newsletter]( Find insights to improve teaching and learning across your campus. Delivered on Thursdays. To read this newsletter as soon as it sends, [sign up]( to receive it in your email inbox. LATEST CAREER ADVICE, OPINION, AND NEWS THE REVIEW | OPINION [Against Higher Ed’s Happy Talk]( By Joshua Doležal [STORY IMAGE]( We need realism, not bombast and bromides. ADVERTISEMENT ADVICE [How to Become a Mobile-Mindful Teacher]( By James M. Lang [STORY IMAGE]( Instead of giving in to frustration over cellphones in the fall, maybe it’s time to put them to good use in class. ADVICE [Admin 101: Moving Into Your New Office]( By David D. Perlmutter [STORY IMAGE]( How to be savvy in your logistical preparations as you take on a leadership post. POLITICS AND HIGHER ED [Diversity Spending Is Banned in Florida’s Public Colleges]( By Eva Surovell [STORY IMAGE]( The anti-DEI measure had been a priority for Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, who signed the bill into law on Monday. LEADERSHIP [After Challenging Stints at 2 Struggling Colleges, a President Will Step Down]( By Megan Zahneis [STORY IMAGE]( Jack Thomas, president of Ohio’s Central State University, has faced scrutiny over enrollment, online programs, and claims about his management style. 5-HOUR PHONE SESSIONS [‘Calls’ and ‘Meetings’: How Ben Sasse Spent His First 7 Weeks as U. of Florida President]( By Megan Zahneis [STORY IMAGE]( The former U.S. senator from Nebraska, who took office at a tumultuous time for higher education in the state, has been seen infrequently on campus. FROM THE CHRONICLE STORE [The New Learning Partnerships - The Chronicle Store]( [The New Learning Partnerships]( Colleges are now tapping outside companies for academic-related services including managing online and experiential-learning programs. [Order your copy]( to explore key strategies for how leaders can build successful partnerships. What we’re reading. Here’s more on career issues and trends from around the web. See something we should include? [Let me know](mailto:denise.magner@chronicle.com?subject=Your Career feedback). - In The New York Times, [a new book argues]( that research labs, “more interested in public relations than public safety, have been opaque or even misleading about safety failures.” - In The Atlantic, [a look at AI in higher ed]( year says “there’s an arms race on campus, and professors are losing.” - [An essay]( in the Harvard Business Review explores how passion for your career can lead to burnout. MORE CAREER RESOURCES POLITICS AND RACE [DEI Legislation Tracker]( By Adrienne Lu, Jacquelyn Elias, Audrey Williams June, J. Brian Charles, Kate Marijolovic, Julian Roberts-Grmela, and Eva Surovell [STORY IMAGE]( Legislators, mostly Republicans, want to get rid of diversity, equity, and inclusion offices; end anti-bias trainings; and banish diversity statements. DATA [What Are the Demographics of Noninstructional Staff at Colleges?]( [STORY IMAGE]( Statistical snapshots of the gender, race, and ethnicity of all noninstructional college staff, including office and administrative support, business and financial operations, maintenance, and other positions in key sectors in 2018 and 2020. DATA [How Much Do Noninstructional Employees Earn?]( [STORY IMAGE]( Here’s a sector-by-sector look at changes in average annual pay for workers in selected noninstructional jobs from 2016-17 to 2020-21. Jobs that fall into the category of noninstructional include business and financial operations; computer, engineering, and science; librarians, curators,… ADVICE [Advice Finder]( [STORY IMAGE]( Want to advance your career? Improve your institution? Our academic experts have guidance for you, and we’ve made it easy to find. JOB OPPORTUNITIES [Dean of the College of Engineering & Science at Louisiana Tech University]( LA Tech [Treasurer and Chief Investment Officer]( University of Colorado [Search other jobs.]( CAREER RESOURCES [Man sitting at a laptop computer.] Explore [Career Resources]( a new online destination to find career-related articles, advice, reports, events, and more designed to help you advance in your career. NEWSLETTER FEEDBACK [Please let us know what you thought of today's newsletter in this three-question survey](. This newsletter was sent to {EMAIL}. [Read this newsletter on the web](. [Manage]( your newsletter preferences, [stop receiving]( this email, or [view]( our privacy policy. © 2023 [The Chronicle of Higher Education]( 1255 23rd Street, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20037