You have too much work to do, and it’s all must-do, top priority. You know your multitasking is slowing down your work, making you crazy, and making it difficult to deliver your best work. You feel pulled in so many directions it’s difficult to make progress. You can show your work and learn how to say no in a way your managers can understand. You can create your personal project portfolio. Learn to visualize your project portfolio and ask your manager for help in understanding what you should do first, second, and third. Maybe, even never. Learn how to create a parking lot so people know you’re not ignoring them; you’re not working on their desires now. Learn to have that conversation with your manager so you can say no and stop the multitasking.

1. Learn to Say No and
End Your Multitasking!
Johanna Rothman
@johannarothman
www.jrothman.com

2. © 2017 Johanna Rothman@johannarothman
A Little History
• My first story of multitasking
• I wrote an article about how to say no with
visualizations
• https://www.jrothman.com/mpd/portfolio-
management/2017/02/visualize-your-work-so-you-
can-say-no/
• Turned into a 4-part series plus the article
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Raise your hand if you like multitasking
among several projects.
Keep your hand up if you are multitasking.
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What AreYou Supposed to
Do First?
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What’s the Problem?
• Too many simultaneous projects
• Your team members are not available when you are
• Too much interrupting work
• Effects of multitasking on technical work is invisible
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Possible Cause
• Resource Efficiency
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Possible Solution
• Flow Efficiency
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Ask Some Questions
• “Can We Add More People?”
• “What Should I Stop Doing?”
• “These Are the Risks I See …”
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VisualizeYour Work
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Possible Board Refinement
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My Board
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Value of Paper
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Park Work in a Parking Lot
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What Roads Look Like at
100% Utilization
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100% Utilization is for
Machines
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It doesn’t matter how many projects you
start.
What matters is how many projects you
finish. And when.
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Let’s Stay in Touch
• Pragmatic Manager:
• www.jrothman.com/
pragmaticmanager
• Please link with me on
LinkedIn
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