Multi-Tasking: Use these sample phrases to craft meaningful performance evaluations, drive change and motivate your workforce.
Multi-Tasking allows one to juggle and perform more than one task at a time without losing track of what you are working on or dropping the ball.
Multi-Tasking: Exceeds Expectations Phrases
- Evaluates when multitasking is necessary; whether it is going to help one get more work done or it is only going to result to one doing multiple tasks slowly or badly
- Sets aside time for intense or complex tasks that require one's full concentration
- Chooses tasks that are fluent, routine, and familiar to multi-task or those that do require one's full focus to accomplish
- Selects one's tasks, with a general sequence of events in mind, in order to complete them without needless repetition or redundancy
- Starts the more involved or longer tasks first, and fills in the gaps with the shorter, self-contained or well-defined tasks
- Thinks about whether there are resources to manage or distribute other than own time and attention
- Works ahead; starts early to set up and prepare when one knows there will be a big rush
- Allows extra time for interruptions when planning for how long one expects everything else to take
- Sets a timer or makes a mental note to remind oneself to pay attention to a task when one gets distracted
- Eliminates unnecessary tasks from one's plan in order to be more efficient
Multi-Tasking: Meets Expectations Phrases
- Makes a list of things one need to refer to often and puts it next to one's computer for quick access
- Chooses tasks that can be paused easily especially when one's multitasking involves dealing with multiple interruptions
- Keeps a selection of simpler projects or smaller tasks and performs them while waiting for inspiration or information on a larger project
- Uses waiting time efficiently; always has a portable task to do such as reading especially in places where one anticipates waiting
- Takes breaks when one needs them in order to balance rushes and refresh one's mind for tasks that require intense focus
- Posts one's to-do list in a prominent place spot in order to remind oneself what really needs to get done
- Simplifies tasks that one cannot eliminate such as routine tasks and tries to perform them in as much detail as they require
- Pauses tasks at natural points, such as the end of a page, and does what one needs to, to remind oneself to resume
- Chooses compatible tasks such as reading a book and clearing your desk and does them together
- Shifts multitasking to single-tasking throughout the day to allow one's mind to reboot
Multi-Tasking: Needs Improvement Phrases
- Waits until one is already in the middle of a task to decide what else one needs to accomplish
- Does not know how to differentiate between tasks that need one's complete attention and those that work well with multi-tasking
- Often loses focus and track of tasks when presented with multiple tasks that demand one's full attention at work
- Spends most of one's time on tasks that do well with multi-tasking and forgets the most important tasks on one's job description
- Finishes one task and moves to the next but still thinks about the task one has just finished
- Starts thinking of other things that one needs to do thus is not able to give full attention to the task at hand
- Does not split up the steps for each task or create mini-deadlines for easier management thus fails to complete tasks on time
- Does not cluster tasks and subtasks to how, what, and where one needs to complete them thus one is unable to differentiate between online and offline tasks
- Does not ask for help or advice from colleagues when one is stuck thus wastes valuable time trying to figure things out
- Does not take breaks in between tasks to reassess new information or let one's mind rest
Multi-Tasking: Self Evaluation Questions
- Describe a time when you have had to perform multiple tasks at the same time. What are some of the challenges you faced?
- What effect does handling many things simultaneously have on you? When is the last time this happened?
- What system do you use to keep track of multiple projects? How has this helped you meet deadlines?
- Describe a situation that required you to do a number of things at the same time. How did you handle it?
- How do you prioritize your tasks to make sure that all are attended to and that they meet deadlines?
- What are some of the ways and techniques that you have found to make handling of multiple tasks easier and more effective?
- What is the most difficult multi-tasking experience you have ever had? What did you do and what was the outcome?
- Are there times when you have been interrupted while multi-tasking? What happened? What have you done to reduce or avoid interruptions?
- What tips have you used to differentiate tasks that fit well in multi-tasking from those that require your undivided attention?
- What are some of the resources you have used for effective multi-tasking other than your own time and attention?