Tech at Work: How to Leverage Digital Collaboration Tools Effectively

0:28This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. of America for a reason. With SUVs made to move with your rhythm. The versatile Equinox tackles your entire day. The spacious Traverse fits your crew and your whole weekend. And tracks bring style with value you can count on. All infused with tech that has your back. So your drive always hits the right chord. Chevrolet. Together let's drive. So what's your very favorite collaboration tool. And I'm referring to the various technologies we use to communicate with our colleagues at work. If you have a hard time answering that question, I get it. Because there are so many collaboration tools, and the options just keep growing.

1:12But just because a tool seems like the latest or greatest, does that mean we have to use it? Paul Leonardi, a professor at the University of California at Santa Barbara says no. On average, people spend 84 minutes a day looking for the information they need to get their work done. They spend about 30 minutes per day deciding what digital tools they should use for a specific task. And they spend almost an hour a day switching between different tools. What that suggests to me is that we have an overabundance of different communication and digital technologies in our workplace. And what the research shows is that too much choice is always demotivating.

1:56There are remedies for this overabundance of technology, like managers limiting the amount of tools their team members use, or guidelines around which tools best meet the needs of certain types of work and projects. If you're interested in learning more, listen to the latest episode of our new podcast, Tech at Work.