Multi-Tasking Only Benefits the Employer

Hi there,

Multi-tasking is cheating? it depends.

We keep on hearing people talking about this multi-tasking thingy, mentioning it in meetings, discussions and cheap talk among colleagues. If you search on the net, it only display results on articles for managers of an organization to learn how to benefit from it... but the following is my opinion based on life experiences and observation using primary and secondary data.

• Multi-tasking is fair enough for small time entrepreneurs because that is what smart-management is all about especially for those in the business entry phase.

• The managers in corporate world nowadays implement multi-tasking and call it smart management but I call it cheating the smart people.

Where does the idea of multi-tasking comes from? It probably came from a General Manager whom during his childhood was the only child in the family, the father had to work two jobs and the mother is fat. He had to be their son, their live-in-maid, the cook, a sous chef, the gardener, the steward, the butler and occasionally the contractor to paint their house, interior decorator, wire man and whatever you can imagine.

So, when the CEO of the huge corporation he is working for asked him to figure out a way to increase profit by optimizing company resources, the first thing that comes to his head is... human resources. "Multi-tasking is doable, I can do it, so they can too." kind of mentality.

This move to train and persuade employee to perform multi-tasking is on its own a multi-pronged operation. The in doctrine benefits the company largely if all employees embrace the new work culture, it also would benefit the company when those demoralized and exhausted employees resigns from work or being asked to leave under the pretext of not performing.

Nowadays, multi-tasking is a norm. When going for a job interview, many could not resist to agree to the job spec offered because they need the job to earn a decent living. The employer knows this, that is why multi-tasking is taking place proudly everywhere. But it should not be that way. Its not healthy for the employees to do multiple job specs simultaneously and be held accountable for lots of things.

The companies can do this because the world have abundant of human resources that is applying for jobs. But what if all the human resources (candidates) refuse these multi-tasking jobs.... boycott them... until job seekers becomes scarce (which will not happen by the way), the company will have no choice but to offer a more comfortable job position.

That is why many youngsters prefer to work in a factory. factories are not fond of multi-tasking because they want their products to be handled by specialist.

What the employees are facing now is to perform all jobs in one pay. If the companies wants to continue to implement multi-tasking.... they should also apply multi-tier salary. they should offer the job candidate something like this;

Junior Secretary

1. prepare call for meeting letters 200 bucks
2. collect RSVP from attendees 200 bucks
3. record meeting minutes 200 bucks
4. prepare meeting minutes 200 bucks
5. distribute meeting minutes to stakeholders 200 bucks

and Logistics Executive

1. Oversee company's fleet of vehicles 200 bucks
2. manage fleet maintenance schedule 200 bucks
3. manage vehicles operations 200 bucks
4. designate drivers and routes 200 bucks
5. prepare monthly report 200 bucks

Bottom line, multi-tasking is good for personal use, not as employee for the company.