The average worker spends 122 hours per year just regaining focus after dealing with emails and meetings, according to the Dropbox Economist Impact Survey, with this figure rising to 131 hours in the UK. Meanwhile, the economic opportunity of addressing lost focus in the UK is nearly $188 billion.
This digital distraction doesn’t just cost money; it also affects productivity and the employee experience. A recent study revealed that half of UK employees regularly work overtime. This culture of overworking can become a bigger issue for businesses: when employees are put at risk of burnout, companies risk higher attrition and lower job satisfaction.
But how much is this being driven by a lack of efficient ways of working? This is where AI technology offers a promising solution. By automating routine tasks, improving search capabilities, and summarising insights into large, complex documents, AI can help to reclaim valuable time that can used to power more meaningful work and a more engaging workplace culture.
Ending pseudo-productivity
Instead of just counting hours, there’s a growing focus on the quality and outcomes of work. Post-pandemic, we’ve seen the emergence of ‘pseudo-productivity’, where visible activity becomes a proxy for effective effort. But underneath, you’re likely to uncover at least one or two elements that are bringing real value to the company.
The introduction of AI in the workplace will increasingly change the way we think about and measure productivity. By becoming a ‘digital helper’, AI will be able to take on the smaller, menial tasks that often fill our work days, producing them in a way that bring incremental value. For example, drafting tailored emails for certain roles to support with marketing and sales, keeping track of important information from calls, or seamlessly organising your documents in the way you like. This will reduce the volume of tasks required to be completed each day and free up time to focus on the actions that provide the most meaningful impact for the business. Fundamentally, AI will change how we manage day-to-day tasks and help instil a mentality of slow productivity, which emphasises quality over quantity and prioritises deep work.
This shift shows that AI-driven gains go beyond merely saving money. By freeing up time, AI creates the mental space for employees to work on projects that require more creativity and problem solving. This not only improves innovation within the business but also boosts job satisfaction and engagement, with studies proving that meaningful work leads to happier, more productive workers.
Maximising time
So, what could businesses achieve with an extra hour every day? Looking at some real-life examples, UK-based animation studio Myth Studio has already saved significant hours each week with the help of digital tools, such as cloud-based collaboration solutions which enable dispersed teams to easily make and implement feedback. With streamlined processes and AI capabilities handling repetitive tasks, employees get to focus more on strategic and creative work.
Digital tools have sped up project management and creative processes, ultimately saving valuable time. This shift has not only increased individual productivity but also promoted better teamwork and efficiency.
Myth Studio’s employees now spend less time on mundane tasks and more time on innovation and collaboration. This has also enabled them to pursue professional development opportunities and maintain a healthier work-life balance. Everyone’s preferences are different, but with more time, there’s freedom to spend it wherever, whether personally or professionally.
As a small business, Myth Studio demonstrates how streamlined operations can make a significant impact on outcomes. And with over five million small businesses in the UK, many of which are stretched to the limit, there’s an opportunity to leverage digital tools to unlock more growth for small business leaders and budding entrepreneurs.
Boosting workplace motivation
While digital distractions impact financial performance and employee experience, with the right tools and technologies in place, businesses can reclaim valuable time and transform it into a resource for greater productivity.
As Myth Studio’s story demonstrates, incorporating AI into the workplace can be a powerful tool. It can automate mundane tasks and speed up processes that free up people to tackle more meaningful work. And, when we’re living through a mission-driven era where people want to see their work make a difference, this means we’re able to give our teams more time to focus on the projects that inspire them.
This is where AI has the greatest potential to impact the bottom line for businesses. Combined with the mindset of prioritising outcomes over hours worked, when employees feel motivated and engaged, the company benefits from a greater culture of innovation – and in turn, better products.
