Top 5 Reasons NOT to Multitask During Meetings

In today’s fast-paced workplace, it’s tempting to multitask—especially during technical meetings where the project manager may not be the primary participant. Many project managers assume that while developers, testers, or business analysts are deep in discussion, it’s safe to check emails, update reports, or catch up on administrative tasks.

But here’s the reality: multitasking during meetings undermines your effectiveness, damages team trust, and increases the risk of project delays. Even if you aren’t leading the discussion, your role as a project manager requires active listening, documentation, and awareness.

In this article, we’ll break down the top 5 reasons why project managers should never multitask during meetings, along with actionable strategies to stay focused and engaged.

1. The Project Manager Is Accountable for Action Items

One of the most critical responsibilities of a project manager is ensuring that action items are captured, assigned, and tracked to completion. Even if the technical conversation is highly detailed, tasks will emerge that directly impact timelines, dependencies, and risks.

For example:

• A software developer may outline the steps required to integrate a new API.

• A QA tester may highlight the additional test cases needed to validate system performance.

• A business analyst may confirm new documentation updates required for compliance.

If the project manager isn’t paying attention, important actions may be lost or misunderstood. That leads to confusion later when deadlines are missed or risks escalate.

Pro tip: Keep an Action Item Document (AID) open during every call. Write down owners, deadlines, and dependencies in real-time. This ensures accountability and helps you report back with confidence.

2. Critical Decisions May Be Missed

Meetings are where many key decisions get made. These may include:

• Finalizing scope adjustments.

• Approving design changes.

• Agreeing on vendor deliverables.

• Confirming budget allocations.

If you’re distracted by email or Slack messages, you may miss a decision that significantly affects the project. Worse, if you fail to log the decision, team members may later dispute what was agreed upon.

For instance, during a requirements review meeting, a stakeholder may decide to remove non-essential features from scope. If you’re not paying attention, you’ll miss the opportunity to log this in the decisions register. Later, when someone asks why a feature wasn’t built, there will be no formal record of that decision—putting accountability on you.

Pro tip: Maintain a decisions log alongside your risk and issue registers. This ensures traceability and prevents confusion later in the project lifecycle.

3. Multitasking Damages Team Trust

Your team notices when you’re not paying attention. If you’re asked a question and need something repeated, it signals to the group that their time isn’t being respected. Over time, this erodes team trust and morale.

Remember, developers, testers, and analysts already feel pressure to deliver. Repeating information because the project manager wasn’t listening only adds frustration.

Additionally, multitasking can create the perception that project managers contribute less to the success of the project. Teams may think you’re disengaged or not invested in the outcome—which undermines your leadership role.

Pro tip: Show engagement by asking clarifying questions, paraphrasing important points, and summarizing next steps at the end of the call. This demonstrates active listening and reinforces your leadership presence.

4. Risks Often Surface During Discussions

Deep-dive discussions are often where new risks emerge. Technical meetings frequently uncover:

• System integration challenges.

• Resource allocation concerns.

• Dependencies between teams or vendors.

• Gaps in requirements or testing coverage.

As the project manager, it’s your job to capture these risks, assess their impact, and facilitate mitigation planning. If you’re distracted, you might miss early warning signs that could have prevented project delays or cost overruns.

For example, a developer may casually mention that a third-party vendor API is unstable. If you’re not paying attention, you may overlook this as a risk until it causes a major production outage.

Pro tip: Keep a risk register open during calls. If risks surface but time runs out, schedule a separate risk workshop to evaluate and assign mitigation strategies.

5. Meetings Are Opportunities to Learn

Even if the discussion is highly technical, meetings are a valuable chance for project managers to expand their knowledge. By listening, you can learn about:

• How different technologies integrate.

• Business processes and use cases.

• Data flows, system architecture, and dependencies.

• Emerging challenges in testing and deployment.

The more you understand your project’s technical and business context, the better you can communicate with stakeholders, anticipate risks, and advocate for resources.

Over time, this knowledge strengthens your credibility. Stakeholders will see you as more than a coordinator—you’ll be a true leader who understands the project from multiple perspectives.

Pro tip: Keep a personal knowledge journal where you write down new terms, processes, or technologies mentioned during meetings. Research them afterward to deepen your understanding.

Why Multitasking Feels Tempting—But Fails in Practice

It’s natural to feel pressure to multitask. Project managers juggle schedules, budgets, reporting, and endless emails. Sitting in a long technical meeting may seem like the perfect time to “catch up.”

But research shows that multitasking actually reduces productivity by up to 40%. Your brain switches rapidly between tasks, which leads to missed details, lower comprehension, and more mistakes.

Instead of multitasking, practice time-blocking:

• Reserve focused hours for administrative work outside of meetings.

• Delegate reporting or note-taking when possible.

• Use collaboration tools (like Microsoft Teams or Confluence) to streamline updates.

By separating “meeting time” from “focus time,” you’ll get more done without sacrificing quality.

Actionable Tips to Stay Engaged During Meetings

If you struggle with focus, here are practical strategies:

• Turn off email and chat notifications during calls.

• Take handwritten notes to keep your brain engaged.

• Ask clarifying questions to confirm understanding.

• Summarize key takeaways at the end of the meeting.

• Rotate responsibilities by asking team leads to walk through updates.

These habits show leadership, improve team collaboration, and ensure you’re always on top of project developments.

Conclusion: Focus Is a Project Manager’s Superpower

Multitasking during meetings may feel efficient, but it undermines your effectiveness as a project manager. By staying engaged, you ensure action items are captured, decisions are documented, risks are mitigated, and your leadership credibility remains strong.

Remember: meetings aren’t just for the technical team—they’re for the entire project. Every call is an opportunity to lead, learn, and add value.

Next time you’re tempted to multitask, remind yourself that your role isn’t just to manage tasks—it’s to drive the success of the entire project.