Big tech says it can boost productivity, but AI wont solve meetings madness | Gene Marks

Endless Zoom meetings, a full inbox, innumerable Slack notifications - who's got any time to actually work?

Meetings, more meetings. A Zoom call. A Google Hangout. Another meeting. Answering emails. Have you checked Slack? Did you sign off on those expenses in Concur? Ever feel too busy at work to get any actual work done? Well, apparently you are right. According to a new report from Microsoft, our workplaces have a serious productivity problem.

The study - which surveyed nearly 31,000 full-time employed or self-employed workers across 31 markets between 1 February 2023 and 14 March 2023 - found that 64% say they struggle with having the time and energy to do their job. Meetings overload is the biggest productivity killer. Respondents to the survey said that meetings are their number one productivity disruptor" with more than two-thirds saying they likely wouldn't even be missed if they weren't there.

Gene Marks is a columnist, author and small business owner. His company, the Marks Group PC, provides technology and financial management services to SMBs in the US and abroad.