Making productivity a reality

The workplace is an ever-changing environment, and this has never been truer than over the course of the last year, since the outbreak of COVID-19. The Asana Anatomy of Work Index 2021 raises numerous interesting insights, such as the reality and effects of work overload and the psychological impact of burnout. The report also looks at the productivity problems created by app-switching and the fallacy of multitasking, as well as the problems caused by a phenomenon known as "work about work".

Work overload and burnout

According to Asana's respondents in 2020, growing workloads and impossible deadlines are the top barriers to productivity in a typical workplace. Unrealistic expectations and unclear processes drastically increase the risk of employee burnout, which was classified by the World Health Organisation in 2019 as "an occupational phenomenon resulting from chronic workplace stress". The statistics prove that this condition is becoming increasingly prevalent, and has been exacerbated by the changes necessitated and stress caused by COVID-19. In 2019, only 5% of employees assessed their mental health as either poor or very poor. In 2020, however, this figure was up to 18%, with 42% rating their stress levels as high. 

Preventing burnout

According to the study, if employers are to focus on the wellbeing of their staff, employee engagement provides the correct starting point. Conversation is key, and an environment in which employees feel free to air their grievances is critical to burnout avoidance. According to author Robert Karasek, burnout can be prevented or managed by reducing the demands on employees, giving them increased control over their working environment and increasing the levels of support offered. Measures such as implementing a flexi-time policy and allowing employees to have their say about non-work matters during meetings can make a world of difference.

App switching, multitasking and their impact on productivity

Application overload can have a devastating effect on productivity and morale. The study reveals that senior employees are switching between 14 apps up to 31 times per day. These switches, as well as the time and effort it takes the brain to focus on each new platform, has an obvious detrimental effect on productivity.

When it comes to multitasking, the report quotes Dr Sahar Yousef, a cognitive neuroscientist at UC Berkeley. Yousef refers to multitasking as a myth, and states that every time an employee switches between tasks, both the time they have available and their energy levels are depleted. 

Preventing excessive app switching and moving past multitasking

One of the biggest drivers of app-switching is email and instant messaging applications. The expectation of near-immediate responses to messages from colleagues or clients puts a strain on productivity levels. The report cites research undertaken by UC Berkeley's Becoming Superhuman Lab, stating that according to 92% of respondents, having a block of time every day in which they do not have to monitor their inbox will greatly enhance productivity. A period of intense focus - without interruptions or the expectation of messages being immediately responded to - helps to make productivity a reality.

When it comes to multitasking, Dr Yousef's solution is to make it a thing of the past. "It's almost always more efficient to monotask," he says. "Focus on one thing and move on when you're done."

An overload of work about work

First things first: what is work about work? These are the seemingly necessary activities that take employees away from the skilled task they have been employed to do. Over and above switching between apps, work about work includes following up on projects that have been sent for approval, reading and replying to emails and managing priorities. Alarmingly, Asana's statistics reveal that work about work absorbs up to 60% of an employee's working day.

How to do less work about work

The report reveals that the first strategy in dealing with work about work is identifying it and asking some tough questions. Are there some meetings that could simply have been an email? Can workflows be streamlined to enable staff members to be more productive? In every decision, it must be remembered that more work about work means less actual skilled work, and therefore less value from each team member, through no fault of their own.

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