Overworked or overwhelmed? The two sides of technology

A recent survey of more than 31,000 workers around the world found that 80% said they lack the time or energy to do their work, yet 53% of leaders said that productivity needs to increase.

A Microsoft study highlights a key culprit, namely that many employees feel overworked in part because of growing responsibilities that take time and energy but actually take them away from true productivity.

Among the eye-opening findings from the software giant’s review of trillions of Microsoft 365 productivity signals:

• Employees using Microsoft 365 are interrupted every two minutes by a meeting, email, or notification.

• The average worker receives 117 emails daily and 153 Teams messages per weekday. 

• More than half (57%) of meetings are ad hoc calls without a calendar invite.

The research also revealed an increase in work-related activities outside of traditional work hours, some of which pointed to employees looking for windows to work with fewer interruptions. On weekends, usage of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint overtook usage of Teams messaging – although the average employee did send or receive more than 50 messages a week outside of core business hours (weekends and weekday evenings).

Technology is a double-edged sword, offering potential solutions but also distractions. Microsoft researchers highlighted three ways that artificial intelligence may be able to help:

Follow the 80/20 rule

Some companies are putting the Pareto principle into practice, focusing on the 20% of work that delivers 80% of outcomes. AI makes this not only possible but scalable by deploying technology to streamline low-value tasks such as status meetings, routine reports, and administrative churn.

Explore uncharted territory

Consider shifting from a traditional org chart to a work chart — an agile, outcome-driven model in which lean teams form around a goal and use AI to fill skills gaps and move fast. The authors shared the example of an AI-first ad agency where employees use a platform powered by decades of strategy to access insights instantly, limiting the need to loop in a strategist at every single turn.

Become an ‘agent boss’

The “agent boss” is Microsoft’s vision that executes on the “work smarter not harder” mantra. A researcher at Microsoft designed a trio of AI agents that supercharge the workweek: one collects new research daily, the next runs statistical analysis, and the third drafts briefs to help connect the dots. All three work in the background to free up the employee to accomplish what matters most.

AICPA and CIMA resource

Insights from ENGAGE: Clever ways to improve your focus at work: Technology is responsible for creating decision fatigue, but a productivity expert shares how you can use those same technologies to reverse the impact and gain greater focus.

— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Bryan Strickland at Bryan.Strickland@aicpa-cima.com.