Streamlining Daily Tasks

Working on too many projects at the same time substantially slows down project completion, even more so than you may think. The following example, taken from Decio Coviello et al. (2014), illustrates this in a powerful way: "Consider a worker who is assigned two independent projects, A and B, each requiring ten days of undivided attention to complete. If she juggles both projects, for example working on A on odd days and on B on even days, the average duration of the two projects is equal to 19.5 days. If instead she focuses on each project in turn, she completes A on the tenth day and then takes the next ten days to complete B. In the second case, the average duration of both projects from the time of assignment is 15 days. Note that under the second work schedule project B does not take longer to complete, while A is completed much faster; in other words, avoiding task juggling results in a Pareto-improvement across projects durations." If task juggling slows down project completion so much, then why do we do it? The paper argues that one reason may be "lobbying by clients, or coworkers, each seeking to get the worker to apply effort to his project ahead of the others". Read the full paper here: Decio Coviello, Andrea Ichino, Nicola Persico (2014), Time Allocation and Task Juggling, American Economic Review https://lnkd.in/eaqahXjk Older open acces version: https://lnkd.in/ez4ds4en

"I'll delegate when I find good people." Translation: "I'll trust them after they prove themselves." Plot twist: They can't prove themselves until you trust them. Break the loop. Delegate to develop. Here's how: 1️⃣ What should you delegate? Everything. Not a joke. You need to design yourself completely out of your old job. Set your sights lower and you'll delegate WAY less than you should. But don't freak out: Responsibly delegating this way will take months. 2️⃣ Set Expectations w/ Your Boss The biggest wild card when delegating: Your boss.  Perfection isn't the target. Command is.  - Must-dos: handled  - Who you're stretching   - Mistakes you anticipate   - How you'll address Remember: You're actually managing your boss. 3️⃣ Set Expectations w/ Yourself  Your team will not do it your way.  So you have a choice: - Waste a ton of time trying to make them you?   - Empower them to creatively do it better?  Remember: 5 people at 80% = 400%. 4️⃣ Triage Your Reality - If you have to hang onto something -> do it.  - If you feel guilty delegating a miserable task -> delete it.  - If you can't delegate them anything -> you have a bigger problem. 5️⃣ Delegate for Your Development  You must create space to grow. Start here:   1) Anything partially delegated -> Completion achieves clarity.  2) Where you add the least value -> Your grind is their growth.  3) The routine -> Ripe for a runbook or automation. 6️⃣ Delegate for Their Development Start with the stretch each employee needs to excel. Easiest place to start: ask them how they want to grow. People usually know. And they'll feel agency over their own mastery. Bonus: Challenge them to find & take that work. Virtuous cycle. 7️⃣ Set Expectations w/ Your Team  Good delegation is more than assigning tasks:  - It's goal-oriented  - It's written down  - It's intentional When you assign "Whys" instead of "Whats", You get Results instead of "Buts". 8️⃣ Climb The Ladder Aim for the step that makes you uncomfortable:     - Steps over Tasks  - Processes over Steps  - Responsibilities over Processes  - Goals over Responsibilities   - Jobs over Goals  Each rung is higher leverage. 9️⃣ Don't Undo Good Work Delegating & walking away - You need to trust. But you also need to verify. - Metrics & surveys are a good starting point. Micromanaging - That's your insecurity, not their effort. - Your new job is to enable, motivate & assess, not step in. ✅ Remember: You're not just delegating tasks. - You're delegating goals. - You're delegating growth. - You're delegating greatness. The best time to start was months ago.  The next best time is today. 🔔 Follow Dave Kline for more posts like this. ♻️ And repost to help those leaders who need to delegate more.

Picture this: Dave, a modern-day professional, immerses himself in the hustle and bustle of daily tasks, darting from one activity to another, each demanding a slice of his fragmented attention. Hold on, scratch that. Let’s not romanticize the gritty reality of multitasking. It’s not an art, it’s not a skill. It's a scientifically documented pitfall. Let's talk facts. According to a study from the University of London, multitasking can drop your IQ as much as a night without sleep. That's not a badge of honour, that's a red flag waving vehemently, screaming for attention. Here’s another: a report published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology highlights that multitasking can reduce productivity by as much as 40%. That’s not just a dip, it's a cliff, a dangerous drop into the abyss of inefficiency. Think of your brain as a computer processor. When you overload it with too many programs running simultaneously, what happens? It slows down, lags, and sometimes crashes. The human brain, despite its complexity, operates on a similar principle. We are not built for simultaneous processing. We are built for focus, for dedicated engagement with one task at a time. But Dave is relentless, right? He bounces from emails to meetings, from spreadsheets to Slack notifications, a relentless pinball in the arcade of modern business chaos. Wrong move, Dave. Because with each switch, Dave pays a tax, a "switching cost" that drains cognitive resources and time. It’s like driving with a foot on the brake – a surefire recipe for burnout and decreased output. Steve Jobs didn’t rise to the pinnacle by scatter-gunning his focus. His genius lay in the relentless pursuit of perfection, in doing one thing, doing it extraordinarily well, and then moving on to the next. So, here’s the hard-hitting reality: Multitasking is not a skill to be honed; it's a mirage to be avoided. In the realm of business and entrepreneurial excellence, it's time to dismantle the multitasking myth, to discard it like the outdated relic it is. We need a shift, a radical refocusing of our energies. Because the future belongs not to the busiest, but to the focused, to those who can navigate the noise and hone in on what truly matters. Remember Dave? Tomorrow, Dave opts for a change. He decides to embrace unitasking, giving each task his undivided attention, nurturing it to completion without the cacophony of modern-day distractions. And as the day winds down, Dave realizes a profound truth: Multitasking was the greatest con of the modern business world. No more divided focus, no more fractured efforts. Do one thing, do it well, then move to the next. In the quest for excellence, it’s not about juggling tasks but mastering focus. One focused step at a time, onto a path less chaotic and more productive.

The Brain Isn’t Actually Multitasking What we perceive as multitasking is, in neurological terms, rapid task-switching — a process that incurs significant cognitive costs. The brain doesn’t truly do two things at once; it simply toggles between tasks quickly, and that toggling has a price. It Costs You Time and Accuracy Research by Rubinstein, Meyer, and Evans found that task-switching can cost up to 40% of a person’s productive time due to the cognitive load of moving between tasks. Studies using brain-imaging technology confirm that performance scores are lower and error rates increase in multitask conditions compared to single-task conditions. It Impairs Memory and Attention Chronic multitaskers show inferior working memory performance and greater difficulty filtering out irrelevant information, leading to increased mental fatigue and stress. Frequent media multitasking is also associated with more self-reported attention lapses, mind-wandering, higher impulsiveness, and more problems with executive functions. It Hurts Academic and Professional Performance Research indicates that media multitasking interferes with attention and working memory, negatively affecting GPA, test performance, recall, reading comprehension, note-taking, self-regulation, and efficiency. Students also tend to underestimate how much it’s hurting them in the moment. The Brain Can “Disengage” Under Overload According to research, brain may “downshift” or limit additional resource allocation when cognitive load becomes excessive, rather than rising to the challenge. The Bottom Line For complex, goal-oriented work, monotasking — focused engagement with a single task — remains the superior strategy for sustainable productivity and cognitive fidelity. The research is fairly consistent: the feeling of being productive while multitasking is largely an illusion.

Most leaders think delegation is about getting things off their plate. They're wrong. As an executive coach for 25 years, I've watched dozens of executives "delegate" only to end up more frustrated than when they started. The real problem? They're not delegating. They're dumping. I talked about this with one of my clients last week. "I gave David the board deck project and he completely missed the mark. I should have just done it myself." When we dug deeper, here's what actually happened. She said: "Can you handle the board deck? He said: "Sure." That was it. No clarity on what success looked like. No context about the stakes. No check-ins planned. David had seen board decks but had never created one himself. So chances were good that David wouldn't meet the mark. And it wasn't his fault. The framework that works: 1️⃣ Get clear in your own mind first Clarify  what you're delegating. Are you handing off a task or giving them authority? What does "done" look like? What does "great" look like? 2️⃣ Give context Don't just explain the what. Explain the why. Share the background, the stakes, how this connects to bigger goals. 3️⃣. Assess the person Use the will/skill matrix. High skill, high will? Give them space. Low skill, high will? Provide guidance. High skill, low will? Find out what's blocking them. Low skill, low will? Provide a lot of structure. 4️⃣ Decide on check-ins Midpoint check-in? Weekly summaries? Let me know when you're done? Be specific about how you'll stay informed. 5️⃣ Set clear deadlines "ASAP," "when you can," and "by next week" all mean different things to different people. Thursday at 3 PM means one thing to everyone. The difference between delegation and dumping is stark. Delegate with structure, and you develop leaders. Dump without clarity, and everyone gets frustrated. Save this to remind you to give context and clarity when you delegate.

One of the biggest productivity killers in a job search isn’t lack of effort, it’s the cost of switching. As per a report by The Economist, professionals lose nearly 28% of their workday to multitasking and distractions. Think about what that means your job searching: - You sit down at 10:00 AM to update your resume. - At 10:10, you check LinkedIn notifications. - At 10:20, you reply to a WhatsApp message. - At 10:30, you start looking at job openings. - At 10:40, you’re watching a YouTube video on interview tips. - At 10:50, you’re back to your resume again. The day started with the intention of making progress. But most of the energy was spent switching between tasks. And every switch comes with a hidden cost: lost focus, lost momentum, and lost time. For job seekers, this is especially dangerous because job search success is built on consistency, not intensity. A few practical ways to fix this: 1. Create “Mono Work Blocks” Dedicate 30-45 minutes to one activity only. - Applying for jobs? Just apply for jobs. - Networking? Send connection requests and personalized messages. - Resume updates? Only work on your resume. No email. No WhatsApp. No LinkedIn scrolling. Just one task. 2. Design Your Environment: Keep distractions away. Close gmail. Close Teams. Put your phone out of reach. Open only the tabs you need for the task you’re working on. Make focus the default. 3. Batch Similar Activities Together - Don’t apply for a job, then network, then edit your resume, then prepare for interviews. Group similar activities into dedicated blocks. Your brain performs far better when it doesn’t have to constantly change gears. In today’s hyper-connected world, your attention is under attack every minute. The people who make the fastest progress aren’t always the most talented. They’re often the ones who can stay focused on one thing long enough to finish it. Protect your attention. It’s one of the most valuable career assets you have. #jobsearch #careergrowth

How To Actually Transform Your Life Forget motivation. It's a neurological sugar rush that crashes when you need it most. I built 5 companies (and crashed spectacularly with my first) by learning this hard truth: your brain doesn't care about your goals—it cares about your habits. Habits aren't just behaviors—they're neural pathways hardwired into your brain. They're still running when motivation dies. Want real transformation? Start with these brain hacks: 1. Think microscopically small Your brain's reward system activates on completion, not effort. A 5-minute walk daily rewires your neural circuitry more than an ambitious gym plan you abandon in week two. I once tried transforming my entire routine overnight. I failed catastrophically. Now? I add one tiny habit monthly. My brain can handle that without rebellion. 2. Consistency beats intensity The dopamine rush from intense effort feels productive. It's lying to you. Your hippocampus (memory center) physically reorganizes with consistent repetition, not occasional heroic efforts. What transformed my productivity wasn't working harder—it was showing up at the same time, in the same place, day after day. 3. Layer, don't overhaul Your basal ganglia (habit center) can only process limited change at once. Start with one keystone habit. Once automated, it becomes a platform for the next. I began with a 2-minute morning meditation. Now it's the foundation for my entire morning routine. The paradox of change is powerful: attempting less accomplishes more. Start so small it seems ridiculous. Repeat until it's automatic. Layer gradually. Become someone new through neural repetition. Your future isn't built on motivation spikes—it's built on biological habit loops that run on autopilot. What's one microscopically small habit you'll start tomorrow? Share below 👇 - Follow me Dan Murray-Serter 🧠 🧠 for more on habits and leadership. ♻️ Repost this if you think it can help someone in your network! 🖐️ P.S Join my newsletter The Science Of Success where I break down stories and studies of success to teach you how to turn it from probability to predictability here: https://lnkd.in/ecuRJtrr

I asked James Clear (his book Atomic Habits has sold 25M+ copies): How do you build habits that last a lifetime. Here’s what he shared: 1. Set habits with the worst day in mind Most people set goals for their best days: “I’ll do 100 push-ups every day.” But the smarter question is: “What can I still stick to on my worst day?” Even one push-up before bed matters. It casts a vote for: I’m the kind of person who doesn’t miss workouts. 2. Forget finish lines Habits don’t “take 21 or 90 days.” The truth is that habits last as long as you keep doing them. The moment you stop, it’s no longer a habit. So design for sustainability, not sprints. 3. Anchor habits to your identity Every action you take is a vote for who you are. Ask yourself: • What habits make me proud of myself? • What do I feel excited about when people notice? That’s your compass. Small actions build into evidence for the story you want to live. 4. Reframe self-control Self-control isn’t about gritting your teeth. It’s about perspective. Switch “I have to” → “I get to.” Example from James: “I have to wake up for my dog at 3am.” Reframe: “I get to spend 5 more minutes with him.” This tiny shift turns obligation into gratitude, and gratitude sustains effort. 5. Expect seasons to change Big life shifts (new job, moving, marriage, kids) reset your rhythms. That’s normal. Plan for it: • Don’t stack deadlines right after a major change • Give yourself learning time to adapt • Seek peers just ahead of you. They’ve solved the problems you’re about to face 6. Teams need environments, not reminders On teams, habits stick when the space encourages them. Examples: • James put Audible on his phone’s home screen = he started reading more • A startup projected its #1 metric (instals) on the wall = kept the team aligned • I cut Slack for my team = productivity jumped because our real flow was in Asana + video calls. Environments shape behavior more than reminders ever will. 7. Master the art of showing up Any new habits should take less than 2 minutes to start. So, instead of aiming for the full outcome right away,  shrink it down to the simplest possible action, something so easy you can’t say no to. Examples: • “Read 30 books a year” → Read 1 page • “Do yoga 4 days a week” → Roll out your yoga mat • “Write every day” → Open your notebook James shared Mitch’s story: he only let himself stay 5 minutes at the gym. Silly? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely because he became the kind of person who shows up. The big takeaway: Habits aren’t about grit. They’re about designing small, sustainable wins that prove your identity through all seasons of life.

Most managers don’t delegate. They abdicate. They dump an unwanted task and vanish. Then a week later, they reappear - expecting miracles. Then they wonder why their team lacks initiative, confidence, capability, and growth. They wonder why it isn't working. And the results aren't coming. Why people don’t respect them. And why their career stalls. Delegation isn’t about dumping tasks. It’s about leverage: 1 + 1 = 3. Done well, it builds trust, accelerates growth and creates a strong culture. Done badly, it breeds resentment, confusion and rework. Effective leaders delegate. The rest drown. Here’s how to do it properly: 1/ Focus on what only you can do Delegate everything else if you want to grow. 2/ Invest time in doing it properly Delegation isn’t dumping - invest upfront for clarity and payoff. 3/ Choose the right person Match tasks to skills, ambition, and capacity. 4/ Make your support explicit Say it out loud: 'I’ve got your back.' 5/ Celebrate (other's) success Celebrate wins. Support setbacks. Then go again. 6/ Don’t mandate how You set the outcome. They choose the process. 7/ Make it a habit Build a culture where responsibility is shared, not hoarded. Delegation is how sh*t gets done. How your team grows. How you grow. And how you get real results. ♻️ 💚 Follow for No Bullsh*t leadership and career advice.

Most leaders don't have a delegation problem. They have a trust problem. Here's the 3-Tier Delegation Matrix that helped me scale teams from 5 to 70: 1. Comfort Zone Tasks The Trap: You're hoarding quick wins, stunting your team's growth. Reality Check: Those tasks you do in your sleep? They're holding you back. Action: List 3 tasks you excel at but need to let go. Today. 2. Growth Zone Tasks The Gap: Your team's potential is bottlenecked by your hesitation. The Truth: Controlled failure builds stronger teams than constant success. Action: Assign one ambitious project this week. Be their safety net, not their ceiling. 3. High-Stakes Tasks The Fear: "Nobody can handle this but me." The Irony: You learned through trial by fire. Why deny others the same growth? Action: Pick your most guarded responsibility. Transfer complete ownership. The Simple Framework: • Routine tasks → Delegate immediately • Growth tasks → Support actively • Critical tasks → Trust completely This isn't theory. This matrix helped me run autonomous vehicle operations across 5 countries. When ex-nurses crushed PR roles and engineers became operations leads, I learned: Trust doesn't just delegate work. It unlocks potential. Your team is more capable than you think. The question is: are you brave enough to prove it? (P.S. What's the hardest task you've delegated, and how did it go?)