The Myth of Multitasking Meetings
We’ve all seen it. Half the room with laptops open, one person scrolling on their phone under the table, another typing furiously while nodding at all the wrong moments. Everyone swears they’re “listening.” Spoiler: they’re not.
The Science of Split Attention
The human brain isn’t built for true multitasking. What we call multitasking is really “task-switching,” and it’s expensive. Every time your attention flips from the meeting to your inbox to Slack and back again, your brain burns extra energy. The result? You miss nuance, forget details, and walk away unclear.
The Price of Pretending
Multitasking in meetings isn’t just a personal habit. It’s a cultural one. And it costs teams big:
Shallow listening: People hear words but don’t catch meaning.
Delayed decisions: Key points get repeated because no one was fully present.
Lower trust: Nothing says “your input doesn’t matter” like someone answering emails while you talk.
Designing Single-Task Meetings
Want better outcomes? Design meetings that demand and reward presence:
Shorter sessions: If you want attention, earn it by trimming the bloat.
Visible work: Use visuals, shared notes, or a whiteboard so everyone is literally on the same page.
Ground rules: Agree as a group. Lids down, cameras on, devices off unless needed.
Meetings are one of the few chances teams have to think together in real time. Don’t dilute that by pretending you can do six things at once. Pick one. The work deserves the whole brain. Contact us today to learn how we can take your meetings to the next level.
