Meetings and email have become a significant time investment for knowledge among workers, consuming an entire two days of their workweek, as revealed by recent data collected by Microsoft. Alongside chat programs, these communication activities account for approximately 57% of their work hours, leaving only a fraction of time for focused tasks using software like Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
However, it is a misconception to consider email and meetings as separate from actual work. Collaborating with colleagues, engaging in discussions, brainstorming ideas, and making decisions are all essential aspects of one’s job. These activities are, in fact, crucial components of real work.
If individuals fail to recognize the importance of meetings and view them as not being part of their actual job, they might run or attend them haphazardly, lacking attention and dedication. Similarly, considering email as insignificant can lead to neglecting messages, allowing them to pile up or sending poorly written communications that cause confusion and resentment.
Moreover, if managers perceive email and meetings as non-essential tasks, despite spending a significant amount of their time in meetings themselves as they move up the organisational hierarchy, they may overburden employees with additional assignments.
Regardless of an individual’s position within the company, both email and chat applications constitute real work. These tools shape professional interactions, enabling the communication of priorities and persuasive efforts. Effectively utilising these tools can enhance one’s professional influence and reputation or squander them.
Taking email seriously leads to improvement in its usage. Skilled correspondents strategically use subject lines and deliver concise messages, avoiding unnecessary recipients. They compensate for email’s impersonal nature by making an effort to convey warmth and empathy in their communication.
Likewise, conducting productive meetings requires skill in crafting agendas, inviting relevant participants, maintaining focus, and assigning actionable tasks. Being an active and attentive participant also contributes to the success of meetings. If everyone puts in the effort, valuable meetings will become more frequent, resulting in fewer unnecessary ones. Contrary to popular belief, attending meetings should not be seen as a passive activity. Just like preparing a presentation, actively listening to others’ presentations is an important and valuable task.
While email may be perceived as non-essential work because it involves responding to others’ requests and needs, it is crucial to recognize that we are in control of how we manage it. Rather than relying on AI solutions to catch up on missed meetings, we should address the underlying issue of unfocused and unproductive meetings.
Challenging the assumption that time spent in PowerPoint, Excel, and Word is inherently more valuable than time spent in Outlook and Teams is necessary. While individuals need time to focus on their tasks, they also require collaboration and input from their colleagues. Encouraging a culture of helpfulness within organisations, instead of relying solely on AI for individual productivity, can foster more effective teamwork. Solitary work practices should be minimised, especially within the workplace.
Once managers acknowledge that email and meetings constitute real work, it becomes essential to appropriately allocate time for focused tasks during regular work hours. If an individual is assigned 40 hours of individual work, such as composing music, writing code, or analysing data, but ends up spending 20 hours on meetings and email, it results in a gruelling 60-hour workweek. To address communication overload, leaders can establish new norms, protecting employees’ attention by scheduling meetings at specific times or on particular days to allow uninterrupted focus on other work. They might also consider eliminating less valuable projects, granting employees the time to respond to emails during regular work hours rather than outside of them.
While we may not have an AI solution to save us from meaningless meetings and excessive emails, it is within our power to manage these challenges ourselves. By recognizing the significance of effective communication and taking proactive measures, we can optimise our workdays and achieve greater productivity.
