{"id":34008,"date":"2019-12-19T15:45:04","date_gmt":"2019-12-19T14:45:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zenkit.com\/?p=34008"},"modified":"2023-07-19T12:12:14","modified_gmt":"2023-07-19T10:12:14","slug":"2020-vision-what-productivity-experts-are-predicting-for-the-new-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zenkit.com\/en\/blog\/2020-vision-what-productivity-experts-are-predicting-for-the-new-year\/","title":{"rendered":"2020 Vision: What Productivity Experts Are Predicting for the New Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"2020<\/p>\n

Productivity is the idea of doing more in less time. It’s about working efficiently but also effectively, and there are plenty of claims of how you can best achieve this.<\/p>\n

After a year of reading our<\/em> productivity insights<\/span>, we thought ‘what better way to wrap up 2019 than to hear what others had to say on the topic’. So, without further ado, here are 10 predictions we should look out for in 2020.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Productivity predictions for 2020<\/strong><\/h2>\n

1. AI becoming an office staple<\/h3>\n

“<\/span>I believe 2020 may be the year when AI finally becomes a staple in increasing productivity in the workplace. AI is already capable of speech recognition, machine learning, as well as data processing. I think there will likely be a step up in AI virtual assistants that cover a large multitude of tasks. Even more administrative tasks will be eliminated, recruiting and onboarding will become easier, and processing and storing data will become faster.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result, we\u2019ll be able to focus our own attention solely on immediate, crucial tasks – without worrying about mundane, repetitive side-tasks of any kind.” – <\/span>Marija Kojic, Productivity Researcher & Writer, Clockify<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

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2. Extended use of self-service tools<\/h3>\n

“Today\u2019s customer prefers to use self-service tools wherever possible, rather than having to get in touch with a business. This means that creating intuitive and accessible self-service tools <\/span><\/a>can not only help improve customer satisfaction, but it has the potential to improve the productivity of your customer service team<\/a> by reducing the number of inbound inquiries a business receives. <\/span><\/p>\n

In 2020, I believe we\u2019ll start to see extended use of self-service tools and articles – that is, the knowledge base<\/span><\/a> behind these platforms – to help democratize information across the business and support the productivity of each agent.” – Ulrich Hoffmann, Director EMEA Central, Zendesk<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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3. A resurgence in analogue<\/h3>\n

“I see a resurgence in analogue and a reduction in the use of technology. Productivity isn’t about doing more in less time, but about knowing and doing the right things. Smartphones are incredible. They do things you could never imagine in the past. But more apps don’t mean you’ll become productive.<\/span><\/p>\n

With a reduction in smartphone and technology use, people will start returning to analogue. By analogue, I mean paper. Journaling, index cards, etc. are back. I’ve never used any to-do apps myself, and my daily to-dos are written on a folded piece of paper.” – <\/span>Si Quan Ong, Marketing Manager, Ahrefs<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

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4. Single-tasking<\/h3>\n

\u201cI think\u2014or at least hope\u2014that 2020 will be the year that it becomes normal to tell a colleague that you\u2019re going offline for a while so that you can do some clearer thinking about an important piece of work. Research has long shown that we are smarter, faster and calmer when we are not continuously scattering our attention, and it\u2019s been nearly 10 years since I first wrote about the productivity hit<\/a> that comes from always-on multitasking at work. <\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m delighted to see more and more professionals now being thoughtful about ways to do more focused \u201csingle-tasking\u201d, and being bolder about agreeing on team norms to enable people to look away from their devices occasionally. It feels as if we might finally be at a tipping point where this goes mainstream. Fingers crossed.\u201d – Caroline Webb, Author of How to Have a Good Day<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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5. Having an organized digital life<\/h3>\n

“I think app usage\u2014along with a greater focus on business automation\u2014will continue to rise as CEOs and their teams search for ways to boost productivity and more effectively manage their time. Having said that, make sure you have your digital life in order.\u00a0Delete any apps that you haven\u2019t used in the last three to four months because if you haven\u2019t used them yet, you probably never will.” – Deb Lee, CPO\u00ae\ufe0f, Digital Productivity Coach, DAllisonLee.com<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\r\n