REIMAGINE YOUR DAY UTILIZING MYANALYTICS
In the past 6 months, living my work life via technology has become my every day, which if we are being honest is slowly eating away at me. I am a people person—I like them, I like talking to them, and most of all I really like being around them, even the ones I do not really like, I still want to be near them. Between the applications and systems previously used as part of my daily routine (emails, SharePoint, and chat apps), technology that was often Plan B has now become my primary mode of communication with my colleagues and a staple in my way of working. Virtual meetings may be easy and get the job done, but all this forced screen time has left me struggling with work-life balance and yearning for a return to a more people centered workday.
*Cue Microsoft MyAnalytics.
I am not the biggest fan of numbers. But I love a good story. And when someone else can use numbers to help tell a story they have my attention. Every week Microsoft sends me an email about my work habits. While I will admit it is a bit creepy, they can tell so much about me based off my Microsoft application usage, these weekly emails have encouraged me to reflect on my work habits. These analytics have provided me with insights that have validated positive ways of working and allowed me to work on changing behaviors that may not be as effective in my current working state.
MyAnalytics supplies weekly insights and recommendations about our work behaviors into 4 areas:
Focus: Time to get work done
Network: Connecting with others
Wellbeing: Time to disconnect and recharge
Collaboration: Working productively with others
MyAnalytics insights suggest the following about my work habits:
I am an active collaborator and most of my work is done with at least one other person.
I have a large network that I communicate with on a regular basis, and a core group that I have a consistent, daily communication flow with.
I have issues turning off, often answering emails on my quiet hours (after 5 and on the weekends).
I answer emails very quickly (within 30 min of receipt) and this often distracts my focus on other tasks.
I do not schedule my week, which leads to scattered time to focus, as meetings are added, removed, and shifted.
Not only does Microsoft aggregate the data to tell me the story, they also supply suggestions for how I can make my weekly work story better.
To better FOCUS I have bucketed 3 30 min increments within my day to check and reply to emails, so I am not answering them as they come in.
To strengthen my ties with my NETWORK and feel overall more connected on a human level, I am scheduling more 1:1 meetings with my important collaborators not driven by work needs.
To help curate my WELLBEING I have set my email notifications to mute from 7pm to 7am so I am not tempted to respond to incoming emails.
To refine my COLLABORATION MyAnalytics suggests that I start politely saying no to meetings that are not essential. While I am not there yet—I have had discussions with my team members about making sure our attendance in meetings is not duplicative, and hopefully this will lead to a reduction of meetings attended.
It is no surprise that since Covid-19 nationally we are seeing data usage increase 40% year over year*. Instead of just accepting this change, I urge you to optimize the way you are working. If you are using the Microsoft suite at all you are also getting these emails. Instead of redirecting them to your junk mail or deleting them, I encourage you to open the next one to understand how the insights can help you refocus your work week. Ironically, a tech company analyzing my tech usage and habits is helping me to reduce the impact of technology in my life.
About the Author
Sarah La Asmar has more than 17 years of expertise supporting Learning & Development, Organizational & Digital Transformations and Culture Shaping in both the public and private sectors. After spending 13 years leading change in K-12 education as a curriculum designer, professional development leader, and teacher trainer, she moved into the private sector in 2018 as a Learning and Change Consultant with Change 4 Growth. Since joining C4G, Sarah has been working in New York City helping to support a Fortune 500 apparel company with learning and change needs necessary for successful digital and cultural transformation. When she isn’t helping others navigate change, you can find her teaching (and taking) Pilates classes, lounging in the sun reading a book, or plotting her next post-COVID travel adventure.