Multitasking is the newest in a series of business buzzwords.
Simply put, multitasking is doing more than one thing at the same time.
Mothers the world over have been multitasking for centuries.
The best image I have of this is a mother talking on the telephone with her best friend while at the same time warning her child, with a wave of her hand and fire in her eyes, that the child had better not touch whatever the child is after.
To the child, the message is very clear: Mom means business, so I better not touch that.
That's multitasking at a basic level.
In the business world, it's a touch more complicated.
It comes in the form of texting someone while driving down the highway, typing out an email in the middle of a boring meeting, or talking on the phone in a meeting while driving.
Talking on the telephone to one person is one thing, but several people are in the meeting, the dynamics are different.
I recall a number of years ago that a prospective employer called me while I was driving.
My personal feeling has been that if I am driving, whoever is calling can wait.
I did answer the phone, pulled over, then went through the interview (I didn't get the position only because they were slow to hire).
In fact I made it a point in telling my interviewer that I would have her undivided attention in 30 seconds after I pulled over.
She waited and we interviewed together.
Focus.
I needed to stay focused and I couldn't have done that while talking to her or the other way around.
Trust me when I say that you are just not that important to be doing something else while talking to me.
I realize that offends your sensibilities because you think you are really that important.
But unless it's a life or death situation, don't devalue your time with me by talking on the phone.