A new workplace advice piece examines how some professionals appear competent or engaged in meetings without substantively contributing, and offers cues for spotting this behavior. It cites an estimate that the average American professional spends more than 14 years of their working career in meetings, underscoring how central meetings are to office life.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-23
A workplace analysis argues that organizations often lean on high-performing employees to compensate for unclear responsibilities and broken processes. Because these employees consistently step up and deliver, leaders increasingly pile more work onto them rather than fixing underlying structural issues.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-23
A survey cited in the report shows daily AI usage among marketers climbed from 88% to 91%, yet less than half say it has meaningfully improved their results. The gap is compared to the early days of factory electrification, when productivity gains only came after work processes were redesigned around the new technology, not just when it was installed.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-21
Despite widespread claims that business and technology are moving faster than ever, the underlying economic evidence does not support this. Productivity growth, a key measure of technological progress translating into real-world gains, has remained stagnant or even slowed in recent decades, echoing an earlier 'productivity paradox' from the computer era.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-21
A podcast network operator built an AI pipeline linking Claude Code and NotebookLM to automate social media production for over 25 shows, turning a full day of manual work into a background process. Rather than reducing overall workload, the time saved has been redirected into taking on additional projects and responsibilities.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-20
A workplace productivity tip argues that opening chat messages with greetings like 'hi, you around?' before stating the actual request wastes time. Because typing is slower than speaking, making a colleague wait through a greeting exchange before hearing the real question delays responses unnecessarily. The advice: state the question or request immediately in the first message.
nohello.net
· 2026-09-17
In a September 2026 post, software commentator Martin Fowler describes conflicting feelings about AI, saying that while large language models can boost productivity, he personally dislikes interacting with them. He cites their unnatural conversational tone and their tendency to confidently state false information as if it were fact, only offering token acknowledgment when corrected.
martinfowler.com
· 2026-09-17
An Entrepreneur contributor outlines 11 personal strategies for continuing to run a business while on the road, drawing on experience managing companies from multiple countries. A central tactic involves deploying AI agents to handle repetitive administrative work and monitor workflows so the owner doesn't need constant check-ins, citing a EverMind finding that many UK and Ireland executives save three to 10 hours weekly using such tools.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-16
Axios CEO Jim VandeHei argues that AI tools are currently generating more choices and clutter rather than simplifying work. He proposes a three-step discipline—confront problems directly, delete unnecessary tasks, and amplify what truly matters—as a way to cut through the noise. He cites internal Axios practices, including a leadership meeting titled 'Let's Kill S***,' as an example of applying this approach.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-16
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby says he deliberately limits his daily schedule, capping meetings at four hours, sleeping eight and a half hours a night, and spending roughly three hours reading. He argues that protecting time for reflection, rather than filling his calendar, is central to how he leads the airline.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-15
A hiring manager passed over a highly qualified candidate solely because they lacked experience with one specific software tool, despite strong overall skills and experience. The decision quickly proved costly, as the company struggled to fill the role and lost productivity in the process.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-15
Zoom is launching a new marketing push featuring Saturday Night Live performers Colin Jost, Kate McKinnon and Bowen Yang, aiming to reposition itself beyond simple video meetings. One sketch-style spot features McKinnon playing a supervillain who wants to destroy Zoom, only to discover her own henchmen depend on it to carry out her plans.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-14