Summary: Need help with PR? If you are looking for a great PR firm, you've found one. Walker Sands is a leading Chicago PR firm with a strong track record that makes it one of top national PR agencies..

Ken Gaebler, president of PR firm Walker Sands Communications in Chicago, says he's a reformed multitasker. Trying to do two or more things at once seems like good time-management, but it can actually torpedo productivity. "When you try to juggle two balls, you're going to drop one of them," says Gaebler.

Business management experts agree. Ilyce Glink, author of the self-published book The Really Useful Guide to Working Smarter, Not Harder (www.thinkglink.com), cites research indicating that people who try to do several tasks at once actually take longer to do them than if they just did one at a time. "When you're interrupted, it takes time to get back into the groove. If you add up the five or 10 minutes lost to transitional time throughout the day, it really adds up," says Glink.

The worst combination is several complex tasks. You're better off keeping one document open on your computer and concentrating on it until you've polished off a major chunk, advises Glink.

Juggling several seemingly low-brain-engagement tasks simultaneously can also result in gaffes. Responding to a client's e-mail while chatting on the phone, says Glink, is a perfect setup for typos and other embarrassments.

Joanne Cleaver has written for a variety of publications, including the Chicago Tribune and Executive Female.

Copyright © 2003. Entrepreneur Magazine.