Technology and Time: How Too Much Tech Can Rob Us of Our Most Valuable Asset

“Time is of the essence.” We’ve all heard that line before, perhaps so often that we rarely consider what it means. Time is of the essence — of what? Of life itself, of course. Much of what we do is built around time: wanting more of it, wishing for it to move faster, and attempting to allot it strategically. Our time and how we spend it enormously impact our sense of well-being and purpose. In the dynamic business landscape, where every moment counts, discussions often revolve around scale and efficiency. Efficiency involves maximizing productivity while minimizing effort and costs, while scale determines a company’s potential for unrestricted growth. Thus, efficiency with your time plays a pivotal role in shaping a business’s scale.

It’s not that humans are busier than they’ve ever been: the total time people work — whether paid or otherwise — has not increased in Europe or North America in recent decades. Yet, in 2022, Americans report feeling more stressed and rushed than before. This is partly due to the shifting nature of work, which means a purely digital experience for you, your teams, and your customers. We’re more connected than before and more instantly accessible than in recent decades, creating a sense of having to rush against time.

In the fast-paced digital landscape, many companies seek solutions for potential problems without fully understanding if those problems even exist. This leads to the “jungle of possibilities” and the creation of monolithic platforms dictated by big tech firms. As a result, businesses end up paying for unused features, causing user trauma and affecting operational expenses. Embracing a decluttering approach, akin to Marie Kondo’s mindful practices, encourages a shift to composable technology. It enables businesses to build solutions tailored to their actual needs, aligning tech with business goals and fostering a sense of purpose.

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The stats: Americans feel overwhelmed by technology

 The pandemic made life more complex for everyone, and research shows that most Americans are craving simplicity and peace where and when they can find it more than before. However, many people find that life — at work and home — has only become more complex. The influx of new tech tools promises increased efficiency and happiness at work and home. However, the sheer volume of options tips users out of the meaningful zone of “the particular” and into a state of generalized stress and overwhelm.

Key findings from a recent study show that while frazzled professionals continue to turn to apps like Todoist, Slack, Zoom and Trello to simplify their busy work lives, the benefits diminish rapidly once managers and executives begin integrating more than ten such apps into their daily routines. In the DevOps world, there’s this thing called “shadow ops.” It’s when smaller teams buy all sorts of solutions for specific purposes without much control, turning existing silos into mini silos. Now, picture “shadow productivity apps” — they make you productive, but only in their own little world. The more apps in use, the less advantageous they become for the user.

This “diminishing returns” effect stems mainly from integration issues regarding the apps themselves and the time required to sync, upgrade and organize them effectively. When people start to feel as though they need to contort the most granular and instinctive elements of their lives to fit the parameters suggested by an app, a feeling of overwhelm and burnout quickly follows. The problems the apps seek to solve are exacerbated due to a disconnect between the natural dynamism and limitations of human focus and output and the volume of hyper-efficient tools that demand near-constant attention. Time is wasted, employees feel exhausted, and the overarching goal of “digital transformation” remains elusive.

The solution — choose sparingly and choose well

Although adding new apps can help boost productivity in certain instances, the downside is that, without a crystalline understanding of why, how and when a tool should be used, employees will continue to feel mentally drained by the perceived demand created by each new app that’s rolled out for their apparent benefit.

Generative AI is a great example of a foundational tool that has the power to introduce and sustain a wide range of benefits for companies across industries. Advancements like ChatGPT may seem like watershed moments, but many companies have been using AI in some form or another for decades. The main difference at this juncture of advancement is the speed at which generative AI tools are proliferating. Many companies feel the pressure to stay ahead of their competition and, rather than taking the time to ensure that the AI they’re adopting is secure and useful, pile on more tools than their workforce or infrastructure can properly bear.

Within the marketing technology industry specifically, a strong foundation in content operations must be laid to effectively govern, monitor, and evaluate different tools being used, especially when it comes to AI. Having too many tools can hurt organizations trying to scale content and customer experience. It’s all about scale and efficiency — without a solid foundation, you’ll waste time playing with new tools, evaluating their value, checking for copyright violations, risking your brand and questioning their performance.

The key to simplifying operations and processes — personal or professional — is not to keep adding the latest shiny objects to your tech stack but to streamline your use of technology at a foundational level. This prevents employee burnout and enables an organization to foster and expand its distinct voice, audience and offering. When foundational processes are simple and solid, it’s easier to identify and add the exact tools that will augment an organization’s output without draining employees. In the case of AI, a pre-existing system of record that helps define policy, flag AI-influenced content, and keep track of performance metrics can make all the difference in protecting multiple assets, both business side and client side.

Staying committed to simplicity requires discipline, but it doesn’t mean giving up modern app solutions. A good tech stack focuses on well-implemented features that save time and enhance users’ lives. Simplicity can be a catalyst for innovation, fostering flexibility, adaptability, and openness. It goes beyond tech, blurring lines between business and personal life, as Leonardo da Vinci said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”

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