Association Puzzle

Multi-Tasking: Smart or Stupid?

I'm sure you've all seen the cute headlines like "Driven to Distraction" regarding the new study on what causes most accidents.  It seems that multi-tasking (and drowsiness) are the main culprits.  Drowsiness is probably caused by multi-tasking because your brain just wants to be left alone. 

This study, done right here in the Washington, DC area, tracked drivers for one year to research what is actually causing accidents.  In most situations, it was the driver trying to do something other than drive -- like make phone calls, read, or put a CD in the player.  What caught my attention is that one of the drivers considers doing things behind the wheel "multi-tasking." 

There should be a special place in Hell for the person who coined that phrase, and he or she should share it with the person who spread this hellacious attitude among the masses. 

Once considered a move forward in time management, multi-tasking has basically become a punchline.  How many times have you heard someone say "I'm multi-tasking," then roll their eyes and heave a big sigh?  It's because we know that multi-tasking means we are overdoing -- usually for no good reason -- and on top of it, not paying attention. 

This attitude is now so pervasive that we think it's okay to do something else while we are at the controls of a vehicle that can kill. 

Read that again -- vehicle that can kill. 

Since when is making a phone call more important than making sure you don't kill yourself, or someone else? 

Multi-tasking in other parts of our lives may not have the same severe consequences, but it also leads to a lack of concentration, and hence, poorer performance.  When you multi-task at work, are you really getting more done, or are you creating more work for yourself when you have to do something again because you didn't pay attention? 

There's a solid thought behind the old saying "A stitch in time saves nine."  It means pay attention to what you are doing now, and you won't have a bigger problem later. 

Like unwrapping your car from around a telephone pole . . .

Recycle Associations Now

My friend Gloria was in association management for years, specializing in marketing and publications.  A few years ago, she left the industry to take a position at a publishing company. 

She's very happy as she is fulfulling her dream of a focused publishing career, but she told me recently that she misses association management sometimes.  She especially misses reading the ASAE magazine. 

I still get "Associations Now" since I'm an ASAE member, so I decided that instead of tossing my copies after I read them (except the annual Leadership issue, of course!) I would offer them to Gloria.  That way she can stay in touch with the industry she spent so many years in, and my copy of the magazine goes to further use.

If you have a colleague out there who misses association management, or wants to know more about what we do, pass along your copy of Associations Now.  You may help recruit a new member, or win one back. 

However you look at it, a magazine is not worth much if someone isn't reading it. 

Judas -- Is Scaring Us?

Exciting news on the Biblical archaelogy front -- the lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot has been researched, authenticated, and released. 

Contrary to what we've all been told for over 2,000 years, Judas may not have been the hell-bound scoundrel we were taught to hate.  His betrayal of Jesus may have been a direct order from Jesus himself.

This is scaring some people.  Everything they were taught to believe and follow is slowing coming unraveled.  Couple this with the recent scientific announcement that Jesus was probably walking on ice and not "regular" water, and you have a lot of nervous Christian traditionalists out there. 

I say, judge for yourself.  You can go to the National Geographic Society website (www.nationalgeographic.com) and download the Gospel of Judas as a pdf file.  It's only seven pages long in the English version (you can also download the Coptic version if you are so inclined). 

How does this apply to association management?  Well, I think it's a good lesson in not listening to the office rumor mill and finding out for yourself what is really going on.  The truth will set you free.