The illusion of multitasking
The illusion of multitasking comes about when a person attempts to cope with multiple sources of information by performing one more activity at a time. Even though it is relatively manageable to perform acts such as listening to music while working, applying this dexterity to other tasks which require more attention and mental commitment leads to the vitiation of messages. This is because when a person tries to perform two complex communication tasks, for example, drafting an email to upper management while at the same time responding to customer customers the brain will invariably be strained and this will erode the effectiveness of communication. Switching between tasks consistently reduces the ability of a mind to be engaged in delivering proper communication. This is very common in a contemporary office environment where technology and its distractions are prevalent. Semantics is also a significant barrier to communication in the workplace. Semantics are whereby words mean different things to different people. For instance, some words carry a specific connotation in IT fields that have different meanings in other professions. Therefore, when a person who is in the IT field uses IT jargon when communicating with a person from another department, the message is likely to be misconstrued by the recipient of the information. This not only applies to the professional jargon in offices, but also to the social jargon whereby people who are close in an office may have their jargon. When this jargon is used on other people who may not be aware of the use of the jargon, effective communication is hindered.
There are four main stages of group evolution which are the forming, storming, norming and performing. Forming is the initial stage of group evolution where the group members meet first as part of a group and are marked by uncertainty, politeness and conflict avoidance. The second stage is storming, where the members let their guards down and shed their social facades as they attempt to test their power and influence over the group. This is a tricky stage to maneuver, and many groups get stuck at this stage. After storming, comes the norming stage where the group members become more cohesive and cooperative and the group is usually focused on their task. After this stage, the group enters the performing stage where the group members are galvanized by a shared vision and are ready to execute the task at hand fully. Key to the performance of the group is cohesion which is the degree of camaraderie in the group influenced by factors such as similarity, stability, size, support and satisfaction in the group. However, too much cohesion can hamper a group’s performance if groupthink permeates the group. Groupthink is whereby a group makes flawed decisions because of the tendency to avoid group cohesion by avoiding raising objections and criticizing other members’ argument. This can be avoided through effective team leadership achieved through typology, whereby the leader asks the members to contribute to certain roles that fit the team’s need at a certain time.