The High Cost of Context Switching

High Cost of Context Switching
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A study by Strayer & Watson of the University of Utah suggested only 2% of the population can multitask successfully (2010). Everyone else is going through the toll lane and paying the costs of context switching. Realization, a software company, estimated this cost to global business at $450 Billion/year (2013). This means there are hidden competitive advantages for people and organizations who adopt strategies to minimize this.

     The above is a standalone chart from my recent NISO Webinar, “Managing Change with Project Management Skills.” Notice the dates. The cost of context switching is not news, but there is increasing awareness of how this manifests.
     Since Weinberg wrote his book, there have been many additional studies exploring multitasking concluding it is largely a myth. What appears to be multitasking is simply switching between two or more tasks, not giving full attention to any. We now know more about how apparent multitasking negatively affects IQ, brain development, and creative thinking.

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