Episode Summary
In this special episode, Niamh Moynihan shares the 2024 Better Workday Survey findings.
This is the third time she has run the survey, and the results shed light on the ongoing challenges professionals face, like distractions, longer hours, and persistent frustration.
The data also highlights positives, such as accessible managers and support for breaks. Niamh encourages you to use these insights to take at least one action, big or small, to improve your workday, your team’s efficiency, or even your entire organisation’s approach.
Key Points Discussed
Most Productive Time of Day:
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Mornings (especially between 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.) remain the peak productivity period.
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Consider adjusting schedules so high-impact tasks happen during these hours and low-value tasks or routine meetings occur at other times.
Shifts in Office Attendance:
- More people now work 2–3 days in the office, reflecting a lean toward hybrid models.
- Fewer people work entirely remotely or fully in-office compared to previous years.
Hours Worked and Overtime:
- 50% of respondents work 40–50 hours per week, a slight increase from before.
- 10% work 50–70 hours, indicating more “unofficial” overtime.
- Even with extra hours, deadlines are typically met, suggesting inefficiencies or low-value activities consuming core hours.
Growing Frustration & Distractions:
- Frustration at work rose from 33% to 44%.
- Distractions have increased, with 56% feeling “constantly distracted.”
- People struggle to maintain consistency and feel work bleeding into all aspects of life.
Desire for Simplicity & Balance:
- Respondents want a workday that allows them to start and end at reasonable times, maintain energy, and achieve meaningful progress.
- Overly complex processes and abundant minor tasks hinder this simple aspiration.
Index Findings – Communication & Collaboration Suffer:
- Communication and collaboration scored lowest across six categories.
- The lack of effective meeting guidelines, email etiquette, and cross-team collaboration persists.
- Despite managers being accessible, fundamental management training (resource allocation, structuring one-to-ones) is lacking.
Action Steps:
- Download the full survey report and identify one key area to improve.
- Focus on small changes—such as defining meeting limits, clarifying communication rules, or reorganising schedules—to reduce frustration and distractions.
- Teams should discuss communication norms, asynchronous methods, and management support.
Practical Tips from the Episode:
- Tweak Your Schedule: Move high-priority tasks to your peak productivity hours.
- Limit Meetings: Consider a cap on weekly meeting hours to reclaim core time.
- Focus on Key Improvements: Start with one area—like communication—and work toward a simple, agreed-upon standard.
- Support Managers: Ensure managers have the training they need to manage workloads, resource allocation, and their team’s progress effectively.
Until next time, stay well and have a better workday.
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