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Unproductive Tech Habits You Need to Ditch Today

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Vivek Goel


Technology tools are mostly a blessing. However, there are many tech pitfalls that employees can fall into that kill productivity. Here’s how to avoid them.

Technology has paved the way for organizations to do better, create pioneering processes, and deliver above expectations. There is no doubt about that. One can’t imagine what the modern world would look like without digitization, which defines every aspect of our lives. However, like all things, technology has its downsides, too, most of which we are aware of.

However, a downside that often misses our eye is our tech habits. We are so inclined to use technology for everything that we sometimes fail to differentiate between usefulness and unproductive tech habits. Organizations suffer the consequences, as their employees often engage in unproductive tech habits while at work without knowing.

In fact, a Forbes article states that more than 90% of employees waste anywhere between 15% to 40% of their workday due to technology. This problem is further exacerbated when it comes to hybrid/remote work, as there exist higher chances of these tech habits taking over the workday of employees.

List of Four most Unproductive Tech Habits

So what are these tech habits that we are talking about?

1. Checking Inbox Too Frequently

Mails in themselves lead to one of the most unproductive tech habits. While a great tool to communicate, we know how our inbox is flooded by spam, promotional emails, emails from linked accounts, etc. Checking our inbox each time a notification pops up is an unproductive tech habit. It leads to distractions for no good reason and makes it really hard to focus for long stretches of time.

2. Distractions by Notifications

Similarly, but on a larger level, phones contain multiple apps that send notifications, making it hard for employees to focus. In addition to personal apps, many work-related apps are also guilty of bringing in this distraction. Once the attention span is captured through such notifications, it usually paves the way for mindless scrolling and phubbing at work.

3. Missing Out on the Right Tools

We understand the irony, but missing out on the right tech tools and platforms is detrimental. Technology has pioneering solutions to deal with its pitfalls, and the onus lies on business users to introduce tech tools before it is too late.

4. Lack of Ownership

The absence of clear ownership of tasks is an example of mismanagement that lead to unproductive results and dissatisfaction. People hop on to unnecessary calls and meetings, draining their bandwidth and diverting their attention from projects that would benefit higher.

5. Hoping on to “Okay Google” without thinking

Easy access to digital tools has, for one, helped humans to find quick solutions but, at the same time, sometimes has handicapped their thought processes. Turning towards apps like “Google” for queries you have in your mind leaves little or no room for your thoughts to wander and think. An easy way out of this tech habit is to stop yourself and think without asking “Google” for your answer.

What’s next?

While the list of unproductive tech habits is much longer, we focus on the ones that are most common in our everyday lives and often escape our radar in ways to increase productivity. Most of those reading would relate to the incidents we have mentioned.

Now, where can an organization step in this regard? Indeed, they can not implement 360-degree monitoring systems to supervise every employee and breach their privacy. But the issue can not be allowed to slide as well, as these unproductive tech habits can have disastrous business consequences.

There’s a relatively easy way out of this dilemma. While organizations can not dictate how employees use their devices or monitor them, they can create an environment conducive to promoting productive workplace tech habits.

The corporate culture is created to enable employees to use their bandwidth on just the right tasks and support them in showcasing their peak performance.

Follow the following tips to avoid tech pitfalls

  1. Organizations can encourage a maximum character count on emails to ensure that long emails do not take up their employees’ workday. Email threads should be updated frequently to provide that only relevant people are added to such conversations. A great practice would be to start such threads with the involvement of only necessary people.
  2. Increasing employee awareness will enable them to look into their unproductive tech habits and find ways to kick them off. Workshops and talks from mindfulness and productivity experts can help to sensitize employees about changing the structure of their workday. From having dedicated time slots to check mail to productivity apps to optimizing and minimizing notifications, there’s a lot that is done to bring back attention where it matters the most.
  3. Organizations and managers take responsibility and assign process owners for various tasks and roles to ensure no productivity is lost due to confusion regarding the same. This allows employees only to receive communication for all that is relevant and save their bandwidth.
  4. Being on an active lookout for technology opportunities to transform and revolutionize multiple organizational processes is an absolute must. Falling behind on adopting them leads to productivity losses and can even result in the loss of competitive advantage for many organizations.

What is Next?

Kicking away unproductive tech habits is not an overnight process and would require constant commitment and awareness from both organizations and their employees. However, once achieved, the benefits of the same for an organization would surely make a mark.

Even more, overcoming these habits would have a holistic impact on the personal and professional lives of employees. With increased mindfulness and more bandwidth, they could forge better relationships and have high morale. This will allow them to bring their best self to work and have an overall impact on their emotions and attitude.

Take Away

Technology habits are hard to let go of. That is why we call them habits in the first place. With the right tech solution at your disposal and the right purpose, you can avoid developing unproductive tech habits. It’s time you ditch your unproductive tech habits and focus on the ones that help you improve.

 

Vivek Goel

19+ years of leadership experience in IT companies of all sizes ranging from start-ups to large organizations in India and USA. Expertise in strategy and operations across functions such as Sales and Business Development, HR, Process and Quality, Project Management and Product Development.

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Fintech Kennek raises $12.5M seed round to digitize lending

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Google eyed for $2 billion Anthropic deal after major Amazon play


London-based fintech startup Kennek has raised $12.5 million in seed funding to expand its lending operating system.

According to an Oct. 10 tech.eu report, the round was led by HV Capital and included participation from Dutch Founders Fund, AlbionVC, FFVC, Plug & Play Ventures, and Syndicate One. Kennek offers software-as-a-service tools to help non-bank lenders streamline their operations using open banking, open finance, and payments.

The platform aims to automate time-consuming manual tasks and consolidate fragmented data to simplify lending. Xavier De Pauw, founder of Kennek said:

“Until kennek, lenders had to devote countless hours to menial operational tasks and deal with jumbled and hard-coded data – which makes every other part of lending a headache. As former lenders ourselves, we lived and breathed these frustrations, and built kennek to make them a thing of the past.”

The company said the latest funding round was oversubscribed and closed quickly despite the challenging fundraising environment. The new capital will be used to expand Kennek’s engineering team and strengthen its market position in the UK while exploring expansion into other European markets. Barbod Namini, Partner at lead investor HV Capital, commented on the investment:

“Kennek has developed an ambitious and genuinely unique proposition which we think can be the foundation of the entire alternative lending space. […] It is a complicated market and a solution that brings together all information and stakeholders onto a single platform is highly compelling for both lenders & the ecosystem as a whole.”

The fintech lending space has grown rapidly in recent years, but many lenders still rely on legacy systems and manual processes that limit efficiency and scalability. Kennek aims to leverage open banking and data integration to provide lenders with a more streamlined, automated lending experience.

The seed funding will allow the London-based startup to continue developing its platform and expanding its team to meet demand from non-bank lenders looking to digitize operations. Kennek’s focus on the UK and Europe also comes amid rising adoption of open banking and open finance in the regions.

Featured Image Credit: Photo from Kennek.io; Thank you!

Radek Zielinski

Radek Zielinski is an experienced technology and financial journalist with a passion for cybersecurity and futurology.

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Politics

Fortune 500’s race for generative AI breakthroughs

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Deanna Ritchie


As excitement around generative AI grows, Fortune 500 companies, including Goldman Sachs, are carefully examining the possible applications of this technology. A recent survey of U.S. executives indicated that 60% believe generative AI will substantially impact their businesses in the long term. However, they anticipate a one to two-year timeframe before implementing their initial solutions. This optimism stems from the potential of generative AI to revolutionize various aspects of businesses, from enhancing customer experiences to optimizing internal processes. In the short term, companies will likely focus on pilot projects and experimentation, gradually integrating generative AI into their operations as they witness its positive influence on efficiency and profitability.

Goldman Sachs’ Cautious Approach to Implementing Generative AI

In a recent interview, Goldman Sachs CIO Marco Argenti revealed that the firm has not yet implemented any generative AI use cases. Instead, the company focuses on experimentation and setting high standards before adopting the technology. Argenti recognized the desire for outcomes in areas like developer and operational efficiency but emphasized ensuring precision before putting experimental AI use cases into production.

According to Argenti, striking the right balance between driving innovation and maintaining accuracy is crucial for successfully integrating generative AI within the firm. Goldman Sachs intends to continue exploring this emerging technology’s potential benefits and applications while diligently assessing risks to ensure it meets the company’s stringent quality standards.

One possible application for Goldman Sachs is in software development, where the company has observed a 20-40% productivity increase during its trials. The goal is for 1,000 developers to utilize generative AI tools by year’s end. However, Argenti emphasized that a well-defined expectation of return on investment is necessary before fully integrating generative AI into production.

To achieve this, the company plans to implement a systematic and strategic approach to adopting generative AI, ensuring that it complements and enhances the skills of its developers. Additionally, Goldman Sachs intends to evaluate the long-term impact of generative AI on their software development processes and the overall quality of the applications being developed.

Goldman Sachs’ approach to AI implementation goes beyond merely executing models. The firm has created a platform encompassing technical, legal, and compliance assessments to filter out improper content and keep track of all interactions. This comprehensive system ensures seamless integration of artificial intelligence in operations while adhering to regulatory standards and maintaining client confidentiality. Moreover, the platform continuously improves and adapts its algorithms, allowing Goldman Sachs to stay at the forefront of technology and offer its clients the most efficient and secure services.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Google DeepMind; Pexels; Thank you!

Deanna Ritchie

Managing Editor at ReadWrite

Deanna is the Managing Editor at ReadWrite. Previously she worked as the Editor in Chief for Startup Grind and has over 20+ years of experience in content management and content development.

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UK seizes web3 opportunity simplifying crypto regulations

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Deanna Ritchie


As Web3 companies increasingly consider leaving the United States due to regulatory ambiguity, the United Kingdom must simplify its cryptocurrency regulations to attract these businesses. The conservative think tank Policy Exchange recently released a report detailing ten suggestions for improving Web3 regulation in the country. Among the recommendations are reducing liability for token holders in decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs) and encouraging the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to adopt alternative Know Your Customer (KYC) methodologies, such as digital identities and blockchain analytics tools. These suggestions aim to position the UK as a hub for Web3 innovation and attract blockchain-based businesses looking for a more conducive regulatory environment.

Streamlining Cryptocurrency Regulations for Innovation

To make it easier for emerging Web3 companies to navigate existing legal frameworks and contribute to the UK’s digital economy growth, the government must streamline cryptocurrency regulations and adopt forward-looking approaches. By making the regulatory landscape clear and straightforward, the UK can create an environment that fosters innovation, growth, and competitiveness in the global fintech industry.

The Policy Exchange report also recommends not weakening self-hosted wallets or treating proof-of-stake (PoS) services as financial services. This approach aims to protect the fundamental principles of decentralization and user autonomy while strongly emphasizing security and regulatory compliance. By doing so, the UK can nurture an environment that encourages innovation and the continued growth of blockchain technology.

Despite recent strict measures by UK authorities, such as His Majesty’s Treasury and the FCA, toward the digital assets sector, the proposed changes in the Policy Exchange report strive to make the UK a more attractive location for Web3 enterprises. By adopting these suggestions, the UK can demonstrate its commitment to fostering innovation in the rapidly evolving blockchain and cryptocurrency industries while ensuring a robust and transparent regulatory environment.

The ongoing uncertainty surrounding cryptocurrency regulations in various countries has prompted Web3 companies to explore alternative jurisdictions with more precise legal frameworks. As the United States grapples with regulatory ambiguity, the United Kingdom can position itself as a hub for Web3 innovation by simplifying and streamlining its cryptocurrency regulations.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Jonathan Borba; Pexels; Thank you!

Deanna Ritchie

Managing Editor at ReadWrite

Deanna is the Managing Editor at ReadWrite. Previously she worked as the Editor in Chief for Startup Grind and has over 20+ years of experience in content management and content development.

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