1. Clarke.Ching@ge.com
Multitasking Exercise - switching cost
• The three projects are as follows:
Project 1—Write the letters A to J in the first column.
Project 2—Write the numbers 1 to 10 in the middle column.
Project 3—Write the Roman Numerals I to X in the third column.
The end result is three columns filled like this:
A | 1 | I
B | 2 | II
Etc.
• Exercise:
• Do these projects by multitasking (1 row at a time)
• Do these projects by not multitasking (1 column at a time)
http://www.stickyminds.com/eNewsletters/Iterations/Default.aspx?eNewsletter=200805#powerbookreview

2. Clarke.Ching@ge.com
Multitasking Exercise - switching cost is only a tiny bit of
the problem

3. Clarke.Ching@ge.com
Multi-tasking is evil - Eliminate Multitasking
A BP1 C D E F G H I J
P2
P3
A B C D E F G H I J
A B C D E F G H I J
20 weeks
20 weeks
20 weeks
£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
Cash Flow:
Three projects - no sharing
Each task takes 2 weeks to complete
x3 x3 x3Resources:

4. Clarke.Ching@ge.com
When resources are shared across projects?
• Too many projects
• too many priorities
• Too many bosses
• Therefore:
• Staff must switch between projects
• i.e. multitask
x1 x1 x1Resources:

5. Clarke.Ching@ge.com
Scenario: multitasking
A
x1 x1 x1
B
Resources:
P1 C D E F G H I J
P2
P3
A B C D E F G H I J
A B C D E F G H I J
48 weeks
50 weeks
52 weeks
£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
£ £ £ £ £ £ £
Cash Flow:

6. Clarke.Ching@ge.com
Scenario: not multitasking
A
x1 x1 x1
B
Resources:
P1 C D E F G H I J
P2
P3
A B C D E F G H I J
A B C D E F G H I J
20 weeks
28 weeks
36 weeks
£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £
Cash Flow:

7. Clarke.Ching@ge.com
Compare
• Each project is shorter
• All projects finished sooner => capacity increased
• Cash flow earlier; faster 2 market, profits up, up, up
• Organisation evolves faster
A BP1 C D E F G H I J
P2
P3
A B C D E F G H I J
A B C D E F G H I J
20 weeks
28 weeks
36 weeks
A BP1 C D E F G H I J
P2
P3
A B C D E F G H I J
A B C D E F G H I J
48 weeks
50 weeks
52 weeks
Multitasking
No Multitasking