Compliments of Byron New Media

You’ve probably heard of job rotation, in which workers learn multiple skills through a variety of different assignments. Job rotation prevents boredom, expands your skill set, and gives workers a new perspective on how to perfom their jobs.

While I was working last weekend, I ran into a wall – toiling on the same thing for a long period of time. Applying the principles of job rotation to my own situation, I found that I work better when I’m able to switch between tasks, or split a large task into pieces – e.g., grade five exams/day. That way, I’m able to fully focus on the tasks at hand when I feel fresh, which provides a better quality product and a more rested self. By the end of the week I finish several things to the best of my ability, and I know that I’ve give each task it’s fair shake.

If you’re faced with the prospect of multiple projects, don’t bite off more than you can chew – instead delineate, package, engage in project planning, and spend the requisite time to ensure that all of your work is on track. If you feel burned out in your current project, could you pair it with another job that’s been waiting in the wings, giving equal attention to both?

This is not multitasking, but rather devoting only a specific amount of time to each task so that you can successfully navigate between several in a way that’s restful to your mind. Instead of attacking tasks like a bull in a china closet, use project management programs to let you see what you’re working on at a glance.

In this case, more is more – successfully juggling additional tasks can actually allow increased productivity.