Multitasking is not for everybody and definitely not for all workplaces. In fact, multitasking is inversely proportional to detailing as the two just don't play well together. If you insist on pushing many tasks of high priority upon someone, you must accept a loss of details as they fall through the cracks in order to allow 'just one more thing' to be completed (and I use the term 'completed' lightly!).
The Problem - Verbal Records
During busy times, a 'go to' person may have numerous requests from a handful of different people, with only a fraction of said requests being of absolute priority status and if the person is interrupted with every request, details will surely be left out.
Verbal interruptions are a major contributor to reduced productivity. Cutting corners to save time, by going directly to a busy person with a verbal request, is not only a cause of reduced productivity but also very frustrating to a person who is already involved in a series of tasks. This type of frustration can build within a person until they reach their boiling point and react accordingly. Every one of us has some sort of boiling point with the potential to boil over, and depending on what 'life factors' are upon us, it can be mild or very explosive. When we learn to control our boiling point, we have taken a great first step to avoid catastrophic events. But what about the requests?
A key question to ask before interrupting a busy person with a request goes like this: "Is that person too busy to drop another request onto them and expect them to do an excellent job in record time?" Many co-workers sometimes hold out on their team with some tasks because they want it to be perfect before they are done with it (if they haven't plain forgotten about it). The problem lies in that person's own multitasking which forces that 'perfect' task into a cycle of procrastination. When they finally do present the task, time rapidly runs out and all of a sudden a crisis is created. Presenting a crisis to a busy co-worker puts undue stress on them as they now have to complete a more than one task at the same time.
We all know that an already busy person doing more than one thing at exactly the same time does not work very well, but we still somehow expect them to multitask. A follow up key question then would be: "If I do present this task, what am I willing to live without?"
Let's face it, we all want to please our clients in the end, but if a person is already very busy, consider another method of presenting 'yet another task' to them. Here are some solutions:
Solutions - Friendly Paper
Speak casually to or meet officially with all involved about ways to avoid over-tasking anybody in your workplace. Consider drafting a task schedule with both priority and casual tasks tables that can be filled in and agree that everybody on the team must follow it, bosses included. Also, even if you are able to casually speak about the task during slower periods, still take a moment to write it down. This will help the person in question keep track of what they must do (hey, did I just invent the 'to do list? I think not!). Set up a task box with two slots, one for casual and one for priority and be sure to use it during busy times.
Also note that emergency interruptions should be few and far between if tasks are to be done quickly and efficiently because, if emergencies are the norm, then there are no emergencies. Anybody running a company should be constantly aware that their organic OS is made up of people, not machines, and that people are better left doing one thing at a time for best results. The only time a task should be left incomplete is when it cannot be completed for whatever reason.
If you are the go-to person and are faced with three people requesting things at the same time during a peak period, simply ask them: "Which should be done first?" But, get them all together, if possible, and let them know that you are not ignoring their requests, you are simply completing a 'to do' list. If you cannot get them together during a peak period, implement the task schedule or task box system as described above.
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