Recently one of our blog postings, Time Management and Unconscious Obstacles, commented on how just the implication of a stereotype affected performance, even when you consciously debunk it. Multitasking is one of those characteristics that lends itself to debate as to which gender handles multiple activitities better.

In 2005 Rutgers University conducted a survey and found that three-fourths of women believe that they perform better than men when required to multitask. One-third of men surveyed agreed with this assumption.

In rebuttal, Paul Burgess, a neuroscientist from the University College in London found that there is no significant difference between the genders in this ability. However he too found that perceptions reflect this belief.

As evidenced by the studies recounted in our previous blog, when you are exposed to a stereotype, it can affect your performance. Since multitasking is not a productive way to manage time, affecting mental performance as it interrupts work flow and creating physical problems, be careful about buying into a stereotype that says you can handle it.

A better alternative is to tell yourself that you are not good at this, regardless of gender, and seek ways to counter multitasking requirements. You can actually become more productive if you instead develop the systems that help you to prioritize and focus so that you limit the need to multitask.