Tag Archives: Remote

How Many Meetings is Too Many?

No matter what your job is, you probably spend more time than you’d like in meetings. We held a poll before the pandemic, when most work was still in-person, and 36% of respondents had one to three meetings a week, while 28% had four to six meetings weekly. Twelve percent attended more than 10 meetings. And out of those polled, 52% said a majority of those meetings could have been accomplished by email.

The pandemic changed the way we work, which led to an even further increase to the amount of time we spend in meetings. As reported by TechRadar, Reclaim.ai, an intelligent productivity and time blocking app for Google Calendar, sampled data and held a poll, ultimately finding that workers now spend around 25% more time in meetings than they did before the pandemic.

If you’re suffering from meeting burnout, it might be worth discussing with your boss. Here are a few ways to cut down on the time you spend in meetings.

  1. Analyze Your Meeting Data

Before you talk to your boss about getting rid of the of the more extraneous meetings, you’ll need to discover what those meetings are. The best way to do that is to make a list of all the meetings you take part in and analyze the data. Which meetings absolutely need to take place? Which ones are important for others, but not necessary for you to attend? Could some be cut in time or be better solved by an email or message? Once you’ve found the answers to those questions you’ll be better positioned to talk to your boss about the subject.

  1. Optimize Meeting Time

Now that you’ve discovered which meetings are absolutely vital, how can you make sure your time in those meetings is well spent? By being prepared and having an agenda set ahead of time. This is easy to control if you’re the one in charge of the meeting. You can plan out the meeting and send everyone agenda prior to meeting. But if you’re not the one in charge, you can only suggest to the meeting organizer that agendas go out prior to meeting. A little bit of organization can go a long way.

  1. Ask for Breaks

Finally, even if we’re using technology more and more to hold meetings, that doesn’t mean we’re robots. It’s easy to schedule meetings back to back when you can switch meetings with the click of a button, but you still need mental breaks to refresh and change subjects. Ask your boss for at least 30 minutes in between meetings.

Meetings can be tough, especially when they’re remote. But if you focus on having fewer, but more impactful meetings, you can really supercharge your work productivity.

Do you like remote meetings? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments section below!

Pros and Cons of Technology’s Impact on Work-life Balance

There are very few parts of life that remain untouched by technology in one way or another. From medicine to autonomous cars, we’re advancing at breakneck speed, and in many ways, our lives are greatly improved because of it.

In the workplace, advances in technology allow us to work in new ways that weren’t possible in the past. Constraints, like location, have become more of a non-issue, and we are more connected to the office than ever before. However, when it comes to balancing those capabilities with our personal lives, it presents several pros and cons for work-life balance.

We’re always accessible
With an entire suite of communication tools found on a single, pocket-sized device, it’s easier than ever to get in touch with just about anyone these days, no matter where in the world they may be. And that includes your boss or employees. According to a Workplace Trends study, “65% of employees say that their managers expect them to be reachable outside of the office.” However, such easy accessibility, when taken advantage of, often comes at the expense of work-life balance.

The key is to set boundaries and expectations to find a happy medium. Easier accessibility isn’t always a bad thing. Smartphones have become a communications hub, and research from Accenture found that 77% of professionals believe such technology enables them to have more flexibility in their schedules.

It’s easier to work remotely
Technology that helps make us more accessible has also made it easier for many employees to work remotely—an organizational structure that has only increased in popularity in recent years. Working from home, a coffee shop, or on the road is commonplace for many companies, and according to the Workplace Trends study, such arrangements are being more openly embraced by employers because of benefits including improved employee satisfaction, greater productivity, and increased retention.

Of course, the ability to do many jobs from anywhere there’s an internet connection or phone signal also makes it easier for work to intrude upon personal lives. Research from Accenture found that 75% of professionals report they work “frequently” or “occasionally” during paid time off, which can significantly affect work-life balance.

So, despite mounting deadlines and work commitments that show little mercy, it’s important to learn how to draw a line between where the office ends and personal life begins.

We’re becoming more efficient
Advances in technology are also making the workplace more efficient. From time-saving apps to digital storage options that help reduce clutter, workplaces are adapting in ways that let employees make better use of their time. Many everyday tasks are being automated, leading to increased efficiency that allows us to work smarter and focus attention on the most important aspects of work while getting rid of redundancies and wasted effort. And with better efficiency comes more time to devote to passion projects, take a vacation, or spend time with friends and family.

We’re getting more done than ever before, but it’s getting done in a way that also helps enhance work-life balance.

But, only time will tell what the workplace of the future will look like as technology continues to advance and our work and personal lives become even more entwined. Regardless, it’s a pretty safe bet the ongoing struggle of finding work-life balance will always be a priority.