Distractions, Searches Mar Productivity!
Covid-19 has forced businesses to quickly adapt to having employees work remote. This rare event in modern times (last pandemic was in 1918) provided a perfect accelerant, albeit with untold human misery, to adopt remote working tools for messaging, video conferencing and other team collaboration tasks. Tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom among others are now common place for remote work all over the world.
While these tools are no doubt very effective in keeping teams connected, they are also distracting and impede productivity.
How employee distraction affects productivity
It is difficult to concentrate when employees are constantly pinged by incoming messages very common in chat tools like Slack and Teams. These tools are based on the idea of groups with shared interests. People are grouped together in chat groups, also called channels, with the expectation that they either participate in a discussion in the group, or at a minimum be aware of all ongoing group conversations. When there are many members in a group, it is natural that at any time many simultaneous conversations happen. Keeping track of these conversations becomes almost a full-time job. No wonder employees get stressed trying to keep up with all the chatter.
This constant distraction keeps employees from deep thought or meaningful conversations. With the ubiquity of these tools, these distractions have increased exponentially.
With Microsoft Teams there is the added distraction from participating in team video chats. Meeting people physically in a conference room is not the same as meeting people virtually on video. Long video conferences can be tedious and drain energy, leaving little time to focus on work that really matters.
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Searching for information wastes time
While tools like Teams have brought the convenience of chatting and video conferencing in one place, employees still have to deal with many other work-related tools. These include email, documents on cloud drives, social media feeds and managing tasks using to-do apps.
Many times, information on the same topic is spread across multiple apps. Employees have to resort to cumbersome searches across multiple apps and then connecting the dots in their heads to figure out the context of all these conversations. This is an unproductive use of time, multiplied many times over the same day by each team member.
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Is there a better way?
Clearly while Teams has been very successful in market penetration, its contribution to increasing employee stress, distraction and consequently lost productivity is undeniable. Its time to rethink such tools with a clean slate.
What if?
- You could be part of group chat only when necessary.
- You could conference call using screen sharing tools to share ideas, instead of getting distracted by having to focus on people’s faces in video chats.
- You could keep all your work automatically organized no matter if you worked on it via email, chat, shared document or even a social media feed.
- You never had to search for information but could always access it naturally when needed
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Clariti is the answer
Clariti is a web-based SaaS tool for emails, chats, calls, cloud documents, to dos and social feeds. While the convenience of having access to all communication tools in one place is itself a big timesaver, Clariti goes further in connecting all related conversations. This connection is natural and automatic, without the user having to do anything extra.
When related information is linked irrespective of the medium used (chat, email, shared documents or calls) it makes it easy to understand the context behind all these conversations. This reduces the need to search as it is easy to go through all the linked conversations by scrolling through them.
Unlike other messaging tools, in Clariti there are no chat channels. There is no need to constantly have to track all the chats in the channels. Any Clariti user can start a group chat and add members as needed. Existing members can be removed and new members added based on the conversation flow. This way users are alerted to join a chat only when necessary.
Unlike Teams and Slack, Clariti supports email. Users can link up to 4 separate email accounts to work with. All other standard team collaboration features like screen sharing, conference calls and to dos are available.
Clariti is a freemium product. While most of the standard features are free, there is a monthly fee for premium features. You can try Clariti for free by signing up at any time from the web site https://clariti.app
Frequently Asked Questions
Do teams increase productivity?
When it comes to productivity, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Some people work best when they are left to their own devices, while others thrive in a team environment. There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that teams can be more productive than individuals, but it is important to remember that not all teams are created equal. The key to a productive team is to ensure that everyone is working towards a common goal and that each member has the opportunity to contribute in their own unique way. With the right mix of personalities and skills, teams can be a powerhouse of productivity. When it comes to getting work done, it seems that there is strength in numbers.
Is it better to work in teams?
Working in teams has a number of advantages. First, it allows individuals with different skills and perspectives to pool their resources and ideas. Second, it can lead to increased creativity and productivity. Research has shown that people are more likely to come up with creative solutions when they work in groups. Finally, working in teams can help create a sense of camaraderie and support.
Studies have shown that employees who feel supported by their colleagues are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs and less likely to experience burnout. Given the benefits of working in teams, it is clear that there are advantages to this approach. However, it is important to note that team work is not always the best solution. In some cases, individual work may be more efficient or more appropriate. Ultimately, the decision of whether to work in teams or individually depends on the task at hand and the preferences of those involved.
What are three ways to increase productivity?
There are a number of different ways to increase productivity. One way is to focus on a task and work on it for a set period of time without distractions. This can help to minimize distractions and maximize focus. Another way to increase productivity is to take breaks regularly.
This can help to refresh the mind and body and make it easier to stay focused on a task. Finally, it is also important to set realistic goals. This can help to ensure that a task is not overwhelming and that it is possible to complete it in a reasonable amount of time. By following these tips, it is possible to increase productivity and get more done in less time.
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