THE OCTOPUS PRINCIPLE: THE KEYS TO MULTITASKING

Multitasking is a difficult skill to master. Studies have shown that trying to handle multiple responsibilities often leads to inefficiency. However, there are some key principles to multitasking that one must always remember to ensure maximum productivity and effectiveness; namely discipline, commitment, scheduling and prioritising.

Growing up in rural Madziva and Chesa in Zimbabwe, I have memories of my mother waking up before dawn to sweep the yard and at the sometime, she would be stoking a fire in the kitchen, and by kitchen I mean atypical round grass hut like those found in a rural setting- (kumusha,ekhaya) in order to prepare breakfast before everyone else arose. This would be followed by washing the children, preparation of breakfast and the relaying of instructions to the herd boys who would milk the cows and then take the cattle and goats out to pasture.

The principle of multitasking starts in one’s formative years as one observes the multiple duties that must be fulfilled by a primary caregiver, in my case, my mother. Multitasking can arise from an inadequacy in terms of manpower (not having means to hire staff) or not having the resources to deploy in order to accomplish the goals set out for each day. We have many roles to play in outlives and there is a need to effectively play each part to yield the best result in each instance.

The reason I called this article The Octopus Principle is because the octopus is a creature with 8 arms that is extremely intelligent and skillful with all its 8 arms, as it swims, hunts, eats, cleans itself and deters predators.
African people at home and in the Diaspora multitask out of necessity rather than as a challenge or experiment. They have multiple roles and responsibilities but have limited resources. Whereas under different circumstances people may have to multitask because they are multi-talented and driven and want to be able to pursue all of their passions and goals.

Therefore when one has many tasks to complete each day it is important to plan ahead and ensure that one’s day is appropriately scheduled to give each aspect the required attention.  Be aware of your skills and how they can best be deployed to your advantage. Thus one of the critical elements of multitasking is being aware of what commitments must be fulfilled. For example in a home environment a mother must care for the children and manage her home. When I was growing up most mothers were in charge of almost everything because their husbands were migrant workers working for the mines in South Africa or Zimbabwe or as teachers and policeman all away from their homeland they only came back monthly, on a quarterly basis and some even after one or two years. There are cases of men who would father children and return after two or three years and meet children whose births they did not witness. So these mothers had to take up the responsibility of raising their children“alone” and still fulfil their other social responsibilities. In a modern setting the responsibilities may not be the same but the skill of multitasking is still necessary.
Plan what resources are required to fulfil your commitments accordingly and effectively. However, you cannot do it all on your own- learn to delegate and prioritise for the day, month or year and review at appropriate intervals, whether daily, quarterly or bi-annually.

Some things that may be routine and everyday activities can be easily delegated to an assistant or other people in your team. In a family you can delegate to children, aunts and uncles or other trusted family members.Many of us are scared to delegate because we don’t believe that things will be done the way that we would do them on our own. There must be trust and clear communication of what you need to be done. Don’t say too little or too much. Just be clear and emphasise the objectives to be reached. In such cases prioritise by choosing what has less risk of being compromised, in case something goes wrong.  I used to find it very difficult to send a driver to pick up my children from school because I always thought that should something go wrong I would like myself or my wife to be accountable for their safety. I rarely sent a driver and this informed my priorities. However we all have different priorities depending on what we are engaged in. For example, I would pick up the kids from school or other activities but also when business delegates came into the country for meetings I would make it a point to personally welcome them at the airport and I would set aside time to take them around, be it to a meeting or for meals and leisure time. I found that this made the deliberations and negotiations more pleasant and go smoothly as the investors or delegates felt welcome and appreciated. These days, with fast trains and other technology, it is rare to find a chairman or director waiting at the airport for a business associate, with good reason. Children, loved ones, investments,financial matters and health issues cannot be delegated as they are top priorities.

In conclusion my friends, I am the octopus and my 8 arms are:
·       Telecommunications
·       Business consulting
·       Retail trading
·       Philanthropy
·       Community development
·       Public service
·       Mentorship and
·       Family.

I hope this will be helpful to you, giving you insight on how I manage to multitask and that you can learn from it. We can expand on this in the coming weeks.

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