Lift Your People Up
With the support of Microsoft Viva, organizations can unlock employee potential and build business fit for the future.
How can companies help employees to reach their potential? Organizations need to continuously look at how best to support their employees to protect productivity, encourage creativity, and promote engagement. Microsofts “Work Reworked” survey found that for many companies in the Middle East and Africa (MEA), productivity either increased or remained the same last year. However, as we’ve seen in the Work Trend Index, these productivity levels could be hiding an exhausted workforce with many employees experiencing “digital overload.”
With this in mind, companies need to protect their employees’ wellbeing and optimal workflow—the state in which people are able to give focused attention to a single task for superior output. Some simple measures include scheduling meetings outside of workflow sessions during the day and encouraging the use of tools like scheduled Focus Time in Microsoft Teams.
As for creativity and engagement, rebuilding social capital is of great importance because it is linked to successful business outcomes. This involves reconnecting distant networks, encouraging teams to expand their interactions, and sharing knowledge.
More broadly, managers need to create a culture where social capital thrives, underpinned by kindness, fun, and collaboration.
How can managers empower employees to make decisions and promote an innovative culture? Remote work has its benefits, but it has encouraged some habits that are detrimental to innovation. One example is the increase in work being done in silos. The Work Trend Index found that interactions with our close networks at work increased, but that they dropped with distant networks. We are, however, seeing an increase in interactions among networks when lockdowns are eased. This offers us a glimpse of the hybrid future as companies learn to balance the benefits of remote work and inperson interactions.
As for decision-making, business leaders should encourage employees to act with confidence and speak their minds. The ‘Work Reworked’ research demonstrates that managers in innovative companies facilitate regular, open dialogue, and allow people freedom in how they approach their roles. Furthermore, the last year has put a lot of pressure on people, so exercising empathy and flexibility will help organizations and their people to thrive.
Organizations are now discovering the power of data. How can cloud and AI-powered tools help extract insights for smarter decisionmaking?
Tools such as MyAnalytics and Microsoft Viva Insights offer workers private, personalized insights that help them take control of their week. For example, they can identify the best time for focused work, catching up on email, and connecting with people. In addition, Microsoft Viva Insights gives employees the tools to recognize when and how they might need to switch off.
Our research also highlighted that finding the right information is a big timewaster for employees. Here, tools like Microsoft Viva Topics can prove indispensable. Topics identifies and organizes new and existing information, arming employees with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions.