CUT THE CRAIC! Cut the small talk to boost productivity is the unambiguous message from UK workers surveyed by Brother UK as part of its Meaningful Meeting Manifesto campaign. More than half of the 2,000 whitecollar workers polled complain they attend too many unengaging and poorly structured meetings (53%) and spend too much time on calls and catch-ups that act as a drag on their productivity (55%). A similar proportion (57%) say they only attend one useful meeting a week. Four out of five (81%) believe they could get just as much done in shorter meetings and catch-ups by eliminating time wasted by waffling colleagues (59%), small talk (48%), late-joiners (31%) and people not paying attention (31%). More than one third (43%) are convinced colleagues try and do other work during meetings. When it comes to the pre-requisites of a productive meeting, 88% agree that timekeeping is important, followed by keeping to a strict agenda (78%), circulating actions notes (74%), putting laptops and phones away (73%) and keeping cameras on if virtual (61%). Two thirds (67%) believe face-toface meetings are more productive than virtual meetings (24%). Phil Jones MBE, Managing Director of Brother UK, says that meetings are still important for corporate culture, problem-solving, building relationships and developing new customers, but he also believes that many could be shorter. He added: “Our findings also uncovered that meetings that overrun and waste time have a negative impact on morale and attitudes at work. Half of respondents (54%) admitted that they feel frustrated, with 27% feeling demotivated and 25% going as far to say they think less of their colleagues. Greater consideration of time, place and how to better facilitate calls and catchups will help nurture more productive meetings.” www.brother.co.uk MAJORITY HOME WORKING DOWN 50% Analysis from JLL, a global commercial real estate and investment management company, shows that the proportion of employees working fully remotely or attending the office just 1-2 days per week has fallen from 39% last year to 20% this year. The report Is hybrid really working? reveals that 87% of international organisations are encouraging employees to return to the office, with one third now making attendance compulsory on particular weekdays. However, take-up varies across Europe, with staff in France and Belgium spending an average of 3.5 days per week in the office compared to just 2.2 days for workers in the UK. Overall, in H1 2023, 79% of employees globally were in the office more than three days a week, compared to 51% in H1 2022. jll.com ... SIGNS OF OFFICE REVIVAL? Is working-from-home falling out of favour with UK businesses and their employees? Spend management platform Pleo believes it could be, citing its first European Quarterly Spending Report as evidence that businesses are investing in their workspaces to entice workers back into the office. Its analysis shows that UK spending on office supplies such as computer chairs, artwork and equipment was 36% higher in September than in July and August. In KPMG’s recent CEO Outlook report, 63% of UK business leaders predicted a full return to in-office working by 2026. pleo.io ... TIME TO QUARANTINE HYBRID Over half (51%) of AV professionals believe it’s time to drop ‘hybrid’ from ‘hybrid work’ and just call it ‘work’. That’s according to Kinly’s Trusted Connections 2023 report, which surveyed 150 UK-based AV professionals, nearly two thirds (59%) of whom do the majority of their work from home, with 12% working completely remotely. info.kinly.com ... TRUE CYBERCRIME STORIES BT Business aims to put cyber security front of mind with the launch of a five-part podcast highlighting the remarkable true stories behind some of the world’s most high-profile cyberattacks including the casino that was hacked via its fish tank. Available on Spotify or Apple, True Cybercrime Stories by BT is narrated by Adrian Lester, star of The Undeclared War. He said: “Truth is so often stranger than fiction, and in the dark underbelly of cybercrime that adage certainly rings true. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed recreating these tales with BT, and while not every business will have a fish tank that can be hacked, I’m sure all listeners will take away some valuable lessons to stop them getting caught out.” ... SMART PATCHES Avery Dennison, a materials science and digital identification solutions company, has highlighted the opportunities in digitally enabled clothing through its partnership with the San Francisco 49ers. In its capacity as the Official Cutting Edge Embellishment Partner of the celebrated American football team, Avery Denison and San Francisco 49ers marquee sponsor Levi Strauss & Co jointly developed an NFC chip-enabled iron-on patch to commemorate the team’s first 10 seasons at Levi’s Stadium. Included in season ticket-holder gift boxes, the NFC-enabled patch, when activated by a single tap from any smartphone, unlocks a video message from General Manager John Lynch thanking fans for their support and showcasing highlights from the past ten seasons. NEWS 4 01732 759725 NEWS photo: BraunS vis iStock
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