The Digital Habits That Quietly Change How We Work

Technology rarely makes a splash in the life of a working person. More often than not, the technologies that quietly seep into our working habits are the ones that make our working lives notably better.

Sending e-mails before jumping into work, saving documents in the cloud, using messaging apps to avoid making phone calls, searching for information on the web, or using various software to help get work done are all examples of apparently minuscule technology habits that can have a staggering effect on the workplace.

While it is normal to think of advanced technologies when discussing the workplace of the future, small digital habits have a large effect on the modern workplace, and being aware of that fact is essential to getting the most out of the technologies we already have.

Small Digital Habits Can Have a Large Effect

There is no shame in a small digital habit having a large effect.

Habits such as storing files online rather than on a hard drive or computer can save hours of a business’ time per week if the documents are accessed by several people. Similarly, other digital habits, such as the ability to send and receive messages faster, or work on a shared document rather than having to e-mail back and forth, can save a business a staggering amount of time.

Habits such as using a shared calendar rather than having to set up a meeting by e-mailing or calling each other back and forth can eliminate the need to send dozens of e-mails or make dozens of phone calls to set up a meeting.

The abovementioned are merely a few examples of the ways in which seemingly small digital technologies can have a staggering effect on the workplace. What is also important to understand is that the technology itself is not important – it is the way in which the technology is used that can transform the workplace.

The Shift From Individual Work to Connected Work

The office of the past was largely an individual effort – the documents were saved on a computer in a particular location, meetings were held in person, and communications mostly revolved around e-mail and phone calls.

Modern digital technologies have changed the way businesses operate at a fundamental level.

Documents can now be created by many people simultaneously, meetings can take place online with people from all around the world, and communication is more streamlined than ever before.

While that may seem like a blessing, it can also create an expectation of constant availability.

While a businessperson may be able to operate from anywhere, that also means that the businessperson is expected to be available anywhere – and at any time.

A phone call can come at a time that is not convenient, a notification can come at a time when the worker has to stop doing something else, and the ability to operate outside of the office can lead to confusion about when work ends and when it begins.

Digital technology has made the workplace more flexible but has also created the expectation of constant availability.

It can be difficult to know when to switch off the phone, or turn off the notification sounds, but the truth is that the digital workplace has to have limits to be sustainable.

Notifications Can Affect Concentration

One of the most underappreciated effects of modern technology on the workplace is the effect of constant notifications on concentration.

Phones ring throughout the day, and almost every single ring has a notification: an advertisement, an e-mail, a news alert, a message from a friend, a reminder, or a notification from an application. All of those notifications may not take more than a second to read, but the combined effect of constantly stopping to read them during work can be extremely detrimental to a person’s productivity and focus.

The main issue is that people have to stop whatever they are doing to read the notification. Some people operate well under such conditions, but others are unable to keep their trains of thought going if they have to stop to read a notification every few seconds. This factor is particularly detrimental to concentration-intensive jobs, such as writing, planning, researching, analysing information, and working out solutions to problems.

Constant notifications are not necessarily bad, but understanding the necessity of each notification is the best way to combat the negative effects of notifications on the workplace.

In short, if a notification does not need to be seen right away, it can be turned off. A simple turn-off of unnecessary notifications can make a world of a difference to someone’s perception of how distracting digital technology is in the workplace.

Search Has Changed the Way People Learn

Searching information online has changed the dynamics of the workplace considerably. Rather than having to refer to books, documents, or human expertise, almost any question can be answered by searching for it online. The advent of online searching has also helped people learn better – rather than asking a colleague or reading a manual, almost any concept can be learned with a brief search on the web. The availability of tutorials, guides, articles, documentation, courses, and much more has transformed the way people learn in the workplace.

However, the ability to search information online has also created a crisis of credibility. While searching online can yield fantastic results, it is necessary to remember that not all information is credible and relevant, no matter how much time one spends on a website.

Learning how to search for information is a crucial skill, but it is also important to have the skills to know what to look for when searching for information.

Cloud Technology Has Changed File Management

The ability to store files online has changed the way businesses operate in regards to file management. Rather than having to store files on a physical hard drive or computer and risking losing them, files can be stored on the cloud.In addition to reducing the risk of losing files, the ability to store documents on the cloud can also provide a business with greater flexibility if it operates with more than one person.

While it may be convenient to operate with files stored on the cloud, it is also important to remember that documents that contain important information should still have appropriate security settings enabled so that they are not open to the world. Even if files are stored on the cloud, documents containing sensitive information should still have the appropriate security settings enabled, and individuals should still use strong passwords, two-factor authentication, and other measures to protect their files and personal information. Storing files on the cloud is convenient, but convenience should never trump the importance of security. If there is an appropriate security risk reduction measure for a process, the process should be implemented, and the security measures should never be ignored for the sake of convenience.

Automation Is Changing the Nature of Repetitive Work

The ability to automate processes has transformed the way businesses operate.

It is now possible to automate almost any repetitive process, including organisation, notifying customers by e-mail, report generation, scheduling, and even shifting information between different programs. The purpose of automation is not necessarily to impress people with the technology at one’s disposal but to free up time to allow people to spend their time on more interesting, creative, and interpersonal tasks. However, it is also important not to automate processes that one does not fully understand.

The first step to understanding automation is to have a fundamental understanding of a process. By doing that, organisations can begin to identify opportunities to use automation to make their processes more effective and efficient.

Artificial Intelligence Is Becoming Part of the Workplace

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming a part of the workplace.

With AI, it is possible to create pieces of work, including documentation, organisation, information analysis, research, idea generation, and more. In many ways, AI has become a part of the regular, everyday workplace rather than remaining a novelty. However, the use of AI is not without its pitfalls. The creations of AI are not always perfect and can sometimes be riddled with errors.

When using AI to generate documents or other products, it is important to examine the work produced by the AI rather than assuming that the AI will do everything perfectly.

In most cases, the best way to use AI is not to rely on it to do all of the work but to use it as a tool rather than letting it replace one’s own skills. That way, a person can edit and refine what the AI has done without having to do everything themselves. It is important to remember that AI has limitations and that some people might need to look after particular parts of the work.

For example, while AI can make a suggestion, it is not always correct, and it may make suggestions that are completely irrelevant to the person’s needs. Similarly, financial or customer-related decisions should not be made by AI, as the financial and customer-related aspects of an organisation are generally more important.

Technology Does Not Always Equal Productivity

A common misconception is that the more technology a business uses, the more productive the business will be.

In reality, it is not the number of technologies that matter but rather the ways in which the technologies are used.

Using ten different platforms to run a business can be less effective than using four well-integrated platforms. Each additional platform adds another layer of complexity to a business’s processes, requiring another e-mail address and another set of procedures to learn. Another layer of complexity can also add another layer of security risks to the business’s network. It is often the case that additional layers of technology do not bring additional benefits to a business but only complicate things further.

If a piece of technology does not clearly bring benefits to a business, it is probably best to keep it away from the business altogether.

People Are the Most Important Part of the Workplace

Technology can assist people, but people always remain the most important part of any workplace.

A communication platform will not ensure that communication takes place effectively, a project management system will not ensure that projects take place, and automation will not fix a process that is poorly understood. That is why the integration of technology into the workplace requires better procedures, clearer communication, and stronger expectations rather than simply buying more technology. Businesses that invest in the wrong technologies without investing in people can only expect to suffer the consequences of their shortsightedness.

Better Digital Habits Can Transform the Workplace

Better digital habits can transform the workplace, but they require people to think about the way in which they operate rather than blindly adopting new fads.

Some of the best ways to incorporate better digital habits into the workplace are to:

• organise files in a clear manner;

• reduce the number of unnecessary notifications;

• ensure that any information received is credible;

• use AI to assist in completing tasks rather than trying to use AI to do all of the work;

• use automation to free up time to do more interesting things;

• remove unnecessary steps in a process; and

• consider the necessity of additional technology.

Technology Should Make Work Easier to Manage

The most valuable forms of technology are not necessarily ones that are new. Instead, these are the technologies that solve a problem without making more.

Digital habits form in the same way that all other habits do — by taking place over and over again, forming an established pattern. They seem little when looked at on their own, but together they can change an entire workplace culture. How people communicate, store knowledge, search for information, organize, use artificial intelligence and other technologies can be even more crucial than the technology itself.

As the development of technology advances, the need to use them wisely becomes more pressing.

The future workplace will not rely on simply having more digital tools, but rather on using them in the most optimal ways possible. Knowing when to use new digital innovations, how to use them, and when other tactics might be a better option are a few of the most important digital habits there are.