In the modern world, multitasking is common and everyone thinks they're good at it. You're able to frequently switch between a variety of tasks without getting distracted or slowing down, right?
Not so fast.
In reality, multitasking has a huge negative impact on your MSP’s productivity. According to research from the American Psychological Association, productivity can decrease significantly when attempting to multitask. Even more concerning, it takes an average of 23 minutes to fully refocus after switching between tasks, according to a UC Irvine study.
To demonstrate this problem in a concrete way, get your MSP team to join you in this simple game that reveals the true cost of context switching.
The Multitasking Game
Consider the tasks you do throughout the day. A task is a unit of work you can start and has a clear finishing point. Everyone in your team works on a series of tasks every day. What's more effective: working on one task from start to finish before starting another task, or working on multiple tasks at the same time?
This exercise will answer that question definitively.
Setup:
Choose two people for the game:
- The player
- The timekeeper with a stopwatch
Exercise 1: Count to 10
- Timekeeper asks the player: "Can you count to 10 in a loud, clear voice?"
- Timekeeper starts a countdown: 3, 2, 1, and starts the stopwatch
- Player counts 1 to 10 as fast as possible
- When the player has counted to 10, timekeeper stops the stopwatch and writes the time on a whiteboard
Exercise 2: Recite alphabet to J
- Timekeeper asks the player: "Can you recite the alphabet from A to J?"
- Timekeeper starts a countdown: 3, 2, 1, and starts the stopwatch
- Player recites A to J as fast as possible
- When the player is done, timekeeper stops the stopwatch and writes the time on a whiteboard
Exercise 3: Alternate counting and reciting
- Timekeeper explains to the player: alternate letters and numbers while counting to 10 and reciting the alphabet to J. For example, "A, 1, B, 2" and so on. The player cannot use any aids such as fingers or paper.
- Timekeeper starts a countdown: 3, 2, 1, and starts the stopwatch
- Player recites the sequence. Here it is for the timekeeper's reference: "A, 1, B, 2, C, 3, D, 4, E, 5, F, 6, G, 7, H, 8, I, 9, J, 10". Don't interrupt even if the player makes a mistake. Let them be confused, muddle around, make a mistake, or give up.
- When the player is done correctly, the timekeeper stops the stopwatch and writes the time on a whiteboard. If the player finishes but made a mistake, make them do it again!
Most players won't be able to recite the sequence correctly on the first try, or even with any number of tries. Even if they do complete it, it will take substantially longer than the combined time of reciting each sequence separately.
Repeat the game with other team members. Enjoy a bit of fun competition!
Compare the time it took for the first two exercises with the time required to correctly do the third exercise. In your team, discuss what that indicates for multitasking in daily work.
What's the Point?
If you can't successfully multitask with such a simple exercise, do you really think you're able to manage switching between complex tasks throughout the day? Don't bet on it.
The human brain has limitations. You and your team will be much more effective if you work within those limitations instead of pretending multitasking isn't a problem.
The IT Brain on Multitasking
When your team tries to juggle multiple complex tasks simultaneously:
- Cognitive Drain: Engineers waste 20% of their mental energy just managing task-switching, leaving less brainpower for actual problem-solving
- Error Cascade: One small mistake from context switching often triggers a cascade of additional issues (like a database configuration error that affects multiple downstream systems)
- Technical Debt Acceleration: Rushed, distracted work leads to short-term fixes rather than proper solutions, compounding future workload
Kanban systems offer a proven solution to these multitasking problems by visualizing work and creating clear focus.
It's much better to choose a task, start it, work it to completion, and then find the next task to do. But the challenge many IT leaders face isn't understanding the value of single-tasking, it's figuring out how to practically implement this approach when managing dozens of tickets, multiple projects, and constant interruptions.
So how do you transform your busy IT environment from constant context-switching to focused productivity?
From Simple Exercise to Complex IT Work
This counting/alphabet exercise demonstrates exactly what happens in your IT team every day:
The Help Desk Scenario
Without Visual Workflow Management:
- A technician begins troubleshooting a network issue
- Mid-diagnosis, they're interrupted by three new tickets
- They rapidly switch contexts between tickets, losing their train of thought with each switch
- By day's end, all four tickets remain unresolved
With Kanban:
- The same technician sees all four tickets in their Kanban board but focuses on completing the network issue first
- The visual WIP limit prevents them from starting new tickets prematurely
- By day's end, three tickets are fully resolved, and the fourth is well-understood
The Project Implementation Scenario
Without Visual Workflow Management:
- An engineer attempts to configure new servers while simultaneously addressing client emails and joining planning meetings
- The server configuration, which should take 2 hours, extends across the entire day
- Multiple errors require rework, further delaying completion
With Kanban:
- The engineer blocks focus time on their calendar, aligns it with their Kanban board's visual cues
- They complete the server configuration in 90 minutes with zero errors
- Afterward, they systematically process emails and documentation
Implementing Kanban to Eliminate Multitasking
Traditional PSA tools such as ConnectWise Manage and Datto Autotask PSA don't make single-tasking easy. Their way of visualizing tickets, tasks, and projects is usually just a simple report showing all the work and leaving the sorting and filtering up to you.
This makes it easy to:
- Get distracted with multiple tickets at once
- Be unclear about what's the most important work that needs to be prioritized
- Miscommunicate in your team about the status and priority of the work
The solution is implementing Kanban boards for your MSP or IT team. Kanban tools and practices help busy IT teams stay focused by:
- Making in-progress work visible to the entire team
- Limiting work-in-progress to prevent multitasking
- Providing clear visualization of bottlenecks and blocked work
- Creating a natural workflow that promotes task completion
- Providing real-time PSA integration - syncing directly with your PSA (ConnectWise, HaloPSA, or Autotask) and eliminating the need for constant platform switching
Real Results From MSP Teams Using Kanban
MSPs and IT teams implementing Kanban with PSA integration have reported significant improvements:
"We were able to move our average project delivery from negative efficiency to positive 58% efficiency. So we finish projects now with an average of 1/3 time left over! Kanban is an extremely affordable investment, considering the efficiency improvements." — Steve Psaradellis, CEO of TEBA - AU
"We transitioned to Kanban boards for better ticket management. And we have improved SLA adherence from 60% to 90% within six months." — Chase Effler, Engineering Manager at Appalachian Network Services Inc.
Kanban Solutions for MSPs
Several options exist for implementing Kanban in your MSP:
Physical Boards
The simplest approach is using a whiteboard with sticky notes. While basic, this method is surprisingly effective for small teams and costs almost nothing to implement.
Digital Kanban Tools
For more sophisticated needs, digital Kanban solutions offer integration with your PSA tools:
- General purpose tools like Trello or Asana can be adapted for IT workflows
- IT-specific solutions like TopLeft provide dedicated Kanban boards that integrate with ConnectWise, HaloPSA and Autotask
- Built-in options within some PSA tools offer limited Kanban functionality
Why PSA Integration Matters When Implementing Kanban
A Kanban board that connects directly with your PSA transforms static data into a real-time, drag-and-drop visual workflow. This integration unlocks key advantages:
- Instant visibility into who's working on what — no need for spreadsheets, status meetings, or guesswork
- Fewer missed tickets, reduced manual updates, and less time spent chasing down information
- More time spent delivering value, not updating systems
If your team relies on a PSA, an integrated Kanban solution isn't just a convenience — it's a strategic upgrade that drives real operational efficiency.
Transform Your MSP with TopLeft's Kanban Solution
Unlike generic Kanban tools, TopLeft was built specifically for MSPs with real-time PSA synchronization and pre-built configurations for help desk, projects, and sales workflows. Users consistently report that this simplicity is what allowed them to succeed with Kanban when previous attempts had failed.
Implementing TopLeft for your MSP is a simple three-step process:
Step 1: Visualize Your Workflow (Day 1)
- Connect TopLeft to your PSA (ConnectWise, Autotask, or HaloPSA)
- Watch as your first board becomes operational in minutes
- Your team immediately sees who's working on what
Step 2: Establish Focus (Week 1)
- Set automated WIP limits (typically 2-3 tickets per technician)
- Use TopLeft's visual cues to prevent "ticket hoarding"
- Drag-and-drop interface requires zero training for your team
Step 3: Measure Results (Month 1)
- Track improvements in ticket resolution time and SLA adherence
- See client satisfaction scores increase
- Most teams report significant productivity gains within 3-4 weeks
