Increasing productivity is a significant focus for firms seeking to maximise limited resources. But Dr Imber believes it’s never been harder for knowledge workers to undertake focused work.

She says that the productivity programs she runs with large corporates, governments and non-profits all point to similar frustrations with digital distraction. “Focused work is the currency of knowledge workers; but we’re operating in an environment of distraction, contributing to more shallow, less cognitively demanding work. Employees are being pulled into their inbox or Slack, or social media, and get this false sense of productivity.”

“We need to get better at managing our attention and relearning how to do focused work. Leading companies recognise that undertaking deep work in the age of digital distraction is a valuable skill that can be taught—and they’re teaching it.”

The tough times ahead give leaders an opportunity to make work better. Investing in AI “machine mates” and automation will tick shallow work off employees’ to-do lists, freeing up time for deep work and innovation. This promises productivity gains that will keep firms competitive and insulate against other cost-cutting measures.

At a time when complaints are at an all-time high – 13.3 million Aussie customers filed complaints in 2022, up 1.6m from 2021, according to research by ServiceNow – organisations are testing their luck with slow service. In the fight for customers, organisations need the right processes and technology in place to help customer support teams get simple things done fast.

If you don’t understand your customers and employees experiences from their perspective, it’s far harder to know where to focus your efforts for the biggest impact and improvements.

“Fewer leadership teams are out there getting their hands dirty, speaking to employees, engaging with customers, and understanding how to run an experiment,” says Imber. “We continue to see leaders talking about innovation but staying at arms-length from the action.”

Relatively few organisations include customers or employees in decisions relating to innovation, according to the ServiceNow/ThoughtLab study. While 96% of global c-suite executives say their senior management and boards are involved key decisions, only 8% of leaders consult customers and just 1% talk to their own people—even though customers and employees are often the most affected by changes in products, services, or processes.

“That's a defining factor of organisations that are highly innovative” says Imber. “They've got leaders that roll up their sleeves, hit the front line, and role model behaviour.”