Latest news with #meetings
Fast Company
3 days ago
- General
- Fast Company
Your team under fire? Here are 3 ways to approach it with care
When your team is criticized, how you respond can make all the difference. As a leader, it's no secret that you need to support your team and stand up for them. However, many managers still stay silent when their peers, or their own superiors, criticize a person on their team in meetings. At the same time, some managers may hesitate or feel uncertain about how to defend their team. But if you, as the direct manager, won't oppose arguments about your team, who will? Here are three practical ways to go about your next conversation when your team's work ethic is questioned. RESPOND, DON'T REACT I know you might feel protective of your team, but don't be too quick to defend them without knowing the full story. There are two things to keep in mind in your response when you face situations like this. First, your team member's reputation within your peer group takes a hit, which could impact their future opportunities. Second, the person is unaware of what happened since they weren't in the room. When you react haphazardly, you risk undermining your own leadership and making the situation worse. Assess the situation first and never, ever jump to conclusions. Great leaders have sound emotional control. Remind yourself that you're not expected to solve the problem right there and then, and you shouldn't feel pressured to do so. Listen to the entire feedback, even if it feels unfair or incomplete, and stay calm. At the same time, it's not good to hear criticisms and just be completely silent. Make them feel heard and ask questions that uncover context. Create space for dialogue and gather the full story. Here's how you can open the conversation: 'Thanks for sharing that with me. I wasn't aware of the situation, but I appreciate you bringing it up. I'd like to better understand what happened—can you walk me through exactly what was said or done, and how it came across in the room?' (Listen, then follow with:) 'That's helpful context. I'll speak with [team member] privately to hear their side as well and see what might have contributed to the misunderstanding. If needed, I'll circle back with you so we can figure out how to move forward together.' INVESTIGATE BEFORE YOU DEFEND Now that you know the side of your peers or superiors, it's time to do your due diligence before deciding on anything. Be the one to initiate an investigation. Give as much time to hearing out your team members the same way you did the other party. Focus on gathering facts rather than lecturing your team. Ask questions that clearly tell you what happened, what they were trying to do, and how they think it came across. You're only there to understand, not point fingers. As today's generation says,'We listen, and we don't judge.' You should also check in with everyone involved, as they can help fill in the gaps, confirm details, and uncover different perspectives. After all this, you can make your observations. It could be a simple misunderstanding, an error in communication, or even just complete negligence, but whether you need to offer feedback, provide coaching, or clear up a misconception, your response will carry more weight because it's grounded in fairness and facts. By handling things fairly and taking the time to hear everyone out, you earn respect as a leader who doesn't take sides but just focuses on understanding the issue and finding the right solution. BE CONSISTENT IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE Your team shouldn't question where you stand. If you stay supportive behind closed doors but stay silent in meetings, it sends mixed signals. Real leadership is about showing up the same way—whether your team is in the room or not. Consistency builds trust. It tells your team that you have their back, not just when it's convenient, but when it counts. If something needs to be addressed, do it directly and constructively. But if the situation calls for clarity or defense, don't hold back either. They're not looking for blind loyalty—they're looking for fairness that doesn't waver depending on the audience. YOU SEE WHAT OTHERS DON'T—SPEAK TO THAT As their manager, you have a front-row seat to their growth, challenges and everyday effort. When criticism arises, you can offer what others can't: the full picture. Bring in context your peers or superiors might not know—what the person was trying to achieve, the constraints they were working within or improvements they've made recently. This doesn't excuse poor performance, but it adds depth to the conversation. You might say: 'I understand the concern. I'd like to share what I've observed from my end because there's more to the story.' When you offer that kind of perspective, you help people make better decisions. And your team learns that you won't just sit quietly while others form opinions without the full view.
CNN
3 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Welcome to the ‘infinite workday' of 8 p.m. meetings and constant messages
Workers are struggling to cope with a 'seemingly infinite workday,' involving an increasing load of meetings scheduled at 8 p.m. or later and a near-constant stream of interruptions, according to new research by Microsoft. The company analyzed data from users of Microsoft 365 services — which include Outlook and PowerPoint — globally between mid-January and mid-February. It found that the number of meetings booked between 8 p.m. and just before midnight had risen 16% compared with last year. Geographically dispersed teams, as well as those with flexible working arrangements, were responsible for much of that increase. 'The infinite workday… starts early, mostly in email, and quickly swells to a focus-sapping flood of messages, meetings, and interruptions,' Microsoft said in a report Tuesday. The company found that the average worker is interrupted every two minutes by a meeting, an email or a chat notification during a standard eight-hour shift — adding up to 275 times a day. And those messages don't stop after they've clocked off. During the study period, the average employee sent or received 58 instant messages outside of their core working hours — a jump of 15% from last year. The typical worker also receives 117 emails per day and, by 10 p.m., almost one-third of employees are back in their inboxes, 'pointing to a steady rise in after-hours activity,' Microsoft noted. 'The modern workday for many has no clear start or finish,' the company said in its report. 'As business demands grow more complex and expectations continue to rise, time once reserved for focus or recovery may now be spent catching up, prepping, and chasing clarity.' 'It's the professional equivalent of needing to assemble a bike before every ride. Too much energy is spent organizing chaos before meaningful work can begin,' it added. One outcome is that one-third of workers feel it has been 'impossible to keep up' with the pace of work over the past five years, according to a Microsoft-commissioned survey of 31,000 employees around the world, cited in the Tuesday report. 'Each email or message notification may seem small, but together they can set a frenetic tempo for the day ahead,' the company said. Half of all meetings take place between 9–11 a.m. and 1–3 p.m., Microsoft also found, 'precisely when, as research shows, many people have a natural productivity spike in their day, due to their circadian rhythms.' Ultimately, Microsoft said, meeting-hungry bosses and colleagues sap workers' productivity, with some time-starved employees forced to catch up at the weekend. 'Instead of deep work… prime hours are spent cycling through a carousel of calls,' the company noted. Artificial intelligence could help lighten the load for workers, according to Microsoft. The technology can help carry out 'low-value' administrative tasks, it said, freeing up time for people to work on what truly benefits the organization. However, the rise of AI has fueled anxiety about the technology's potential to oust human workers from their jobs. According to a survey by the World Economic Forum, published in January, 41% of employers intend to downsize their workforce as AI automates certain tasks. CNN's Olesya Dmitracova contributed reporting.
CNN
3 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Welcome to the ‘infinite workday' of 8 p.m. meetings and constant messages
Workers are struggling to cope with a 'seemingly infinite workday,' involving an increasing load of meetings scheduled at 8 p.m. or later and a near-constant stream of interruptions, according to new research by Microsoft. The company analyzed data from users of Microsoft 365 services — which include Outlook and PowerPoint — globally between mid-January and mid-February. It found that the number of meetings booked between 8 p.m. and just before midnight had risen 16% compared with last year. Geographically dispersed teams, as well as those with flexible working arrangements, were responsible for much of that increase. 'The infinite workday… starts early, mostly in email, and quickly swells to a focus-sapping flood of messages, meetings, and interruptions,' Microsoft said in a report Tuesday. The company found that the average worker is interrupted every two minutes by a meeting, an email or a chat notification during a standard eight-hour shift — adding up to 275 times a day. And those messages don't stop after they've clocked off. During the study period, the average employee sent or received 58 instant messages outside of their core working hours — a jump of 15% from last year. The typical worker also receives 117 emails per day and, by 10 p.m., almost one-third of employees are back in their inboxes, 'pointing to a steady rise in after-hours activity,' Microsoft noted. 'The modern workday for many has no clear start or finish,' the company said in its report. 'As business demands grow more complex and expectations continue to rise, time once reserved for focus or recovery may now be spent catching up, prepping, and chasing clarity.' 'It's the professional equivalent of needing to assemble a bike before every ride. Too much energy is spent organizing chaos before meaningful work can begin,' it added. One outcome is that one-third of workers feel it has been 'impossible to keep up' with the pace of work over the past five years, according to a Microsoft-commissioned survey of 31,000 employees around the world, cited in the Tuesday report. 'Each email or message notification may seem small, but together they can set a frenetic tempo for the day ahead,' the company said. Half of all meetings take place between 9–11 a.m. and 1–3 p.m., Microsoft also found, 'precisely when, as research shows, many people have a natural productivity spike in their day, due to their circadian rhythms.' Ultimately, Microsoft said, meeting-hungry bosses and colleagues sap workers' productivity, with some time-starved employees forced to catch up at the weekend. 'Instead of deep work… prime hours are spent cycling through a carousel of calls,' the company noted. Artificial intelligence could help lighten the load for workers, according to Microsoft. The technology can help carry out 'low-value' administrative tasks, it said, freeing up time for people to work on what truly benefits the organization. However, the rise of AI has fueled anxiety about the technology's potential to oust human workers from their jobs. According to a survey by the World Economic Forum, published in January, 41% of employers intend to downsize their workforce as AI automates certain tasks. CNN's Olesya Dmitracova contributed reporting.
Wall Street Journal
3 days ago
- Business
- Wall Street Journal
More of Us Are Putting in Extra Hours After the Workday
If it feels like there aren't enough hours to get everything done during the workday, you're part of a growing club: More of us are working a second shift in the evening. Workers slid into the habit of working at all hours during the pandemic, when many worked from home and could more freely change up their regular 9-to-5 schedules. Though fewer people are fully remote now, many are still toiling into the night—and say an expanding load of meetings, emails and actual work are a big reason.
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Meetings After 8 p.m. Are On the Rise
If it feels like the workday is never-ending, it's not just you. Meetings starting after 8 p.m. are up 16% compared to a year ago, and at 10 p.m. almost a third of active workers are still monitoring their inboxes, according to research from Microsoft Corp. The company's annual work trends study, which is based on aggregated and anonymized data from Microsoft 365 users and a global survey of 31,000 desk workers, also found that almost 20% of employees actively working weekends are checking email before noon on Saturdays and Sundays, while over 5% are active on email again on Sunday evenings, gearing up for the start of the work week.
