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Multitasking makes us feel busy and competent. But it’s inefficient.

That’s according to University of Texas at Austin's psychology professor, Art Markman, author of Smart Thinking.  

“The human mind simply isn’t designed to do more than one kind of complex thinking at a time,” he says. To improve focus and output, turn off electronics during meetings and while working on projects requiring concentration. (You may bristle at this advice if you are married to your smartphone.)

Other recommendations include:

• Reward group results instead of individual accomplishments. This gives all employees “incentive to learn and grow.” Your teams will generate better results.
• Keep your mouth shut in brainstorming sessions if you are a devil’s advocate by nature. Seek to “understand ideas deeply” before criticizing them. This listening and learning process may lead you to important new insights you might miss otherwise.

How many of these tips have you already incorporated into your corporate culture?

Click here to read Markman's full post on SmartBlogs.com.