Everywhere you look, it is happening. People driving while talking on cell phones and combing their hair. People eating dinner, watching TV and texting. Multitasking is just normal these days, and the fire service is no exception.
On emergency scenes, a certain amount of multitasking is necessary if inherently risky, but doing many things at once is also common around the fire station, often to the detriment of effectiveness, teamwork and interpersonal relationships.
The problem is that the ability of a person to really do more than one thing at a time is very limited. Numerous studies show that the ability to really function when dealing with more than one complex event or idea maxes out at about three — and even then, critical information starts to get lost.
For less complex information, the limit is five to seven items (there is a reason telephone numbers are seven digits long.) Beyond these limits, people tend to lose most ability to remember or use information, no matter how hard they try.
Of course, the fire service is well aware of such attention limitations during emergency operations — hence, the concept of span of control. But what about during non-emergency situations?
In many cases, the understanding that leads to life-saving span of control limitations can be completely thrown out the window as day-to-day demands pile up.
Consider cell phones. For many people, they are in constant use, not only for making or answering phone calls, but also for texting, checking e-mail, viewing videos, playing games, making purchases, or any of dozens of other “apps” that the newer phones support.
Cell phones are a huge distraction, and recent studies are showing a much higher correlation between cell phone use and accidents than previously thought. In the recent Boston trolley crash that injured 50 people, the trolley driver was texting his girlfriend just before his vehicle collided with another. Last year’s commuter train accident in California that killed 25 people was linked to the engineer’s use of a cell phone just before the crash occurred.
But cell phones are only part of the problem. The underlying danger is divided attention, which can occur due to any number of factors: an engaging conversation, visual distractions like television programs or news crawlers, more than one person talking at once, physical discomfort or stress, or even boredom that allows the mind to wander.
Limited ability
The bottom line is that most people have very limited ability to multitask unless a) the number of tasks being attempted is very small, and b) the tasks being done simultaneously are routine and do not involve conscious decision making or reaction to new circumstances.
If the tasks require retention of new information, more complex decision making, or creative or innovative thinking, results will be much better if they are done sequentially rather than simultaneously.
Another element of multitasking is how it affects others, and your ability to create credibility as a leader. Suppose one of your firefighters comes to your office to speak to you privately. You welcome the person in, but the entire time he or she is speaking, you are checking text messages that pop up on your cell phone, or glancing at e-mail on the computer, or sorting papers on your desk.
Maybe you mean no disrespect by these actions — maybe you think you’re just using time efficiently by multitasking. But the negative effect is two-fold.
First, the person with the concern will feel slighted and will be less likely to bring a concern to you again in the future.
Second, your ability to really hear what that person has said will be greatly limited by your attempt to do more than one thing at a time. It is likely you will misunderstand or even entirely miss what your firefighter was trying to tell you.
Some people say they are good at multitasking, and it is true that younger people in particular have greater abilities to juggle two or more routine actions at once. However, truly focusing and making decisions about more than one significant thing at a time is not just a bad idea, it is nearly a physical impossibility.
The solution? Pay attention! If someone wants to tell you something important, put other things aside, look them in eye, and make sure you understand their message. Such focused attention takes seconds in most cases, a minute or two at most — but the benefit is immeasurable not only in getting it right the first time, but also in creating a model of leadership that is respectful and inclusive above all.
