Time-wasting in companies: is it possible to eliminate meetings? Some companies have managed it
Time-wasting in companies is an issue faced by a large proportion of entrepreneurs every day. According to a recent study, the main causes of time being wasted in companies are pointless and poorly-organised meetings.
Microsoft, a company which pays particular attention to such matters) has therefore developed an AI based software which is able to assess whether a meeting is beneficial to the company’s productivity or not.
Although the project is still at the patent stage, the planned strategy put forward by the Richmond based company has already caused misgivings and protests on the part of those who consider that the disadvantages of this new technology outweigh its potential benefits.
How does this technology eliminate pointless meetings?
If employees have time to yawn or mess around on their mobile phones during a meeting instead of listening to the speaker, this can be considered time-wasting, at least according to the multinational led by Bill Gates. This anti-performance trend is to be combatted using Microsoft’s new technology designed specifically to eliminate un-necessary meetings.
In practice, the idea is that it functions via the installation of cameras and other special devices in meeting rooms (or via a webcam in the case of videoconferences), designed to monitor the employees’ behaviour and assess their level of involvement.
As well as detecting the number of people actually present in the room, the time of the meeting and the environmental conditions in the room, the sensors could analyse facial expressions, levels of interest and the actions of attendees throughout the meeting.
This huge quantity of data would then be gathered in a database and analysed using artificial intelligence in order to extract relevant information and prepare predictive diagrams. The software would be able to recognise the most favourable elements which make a meeting successful and reject those associated with pointless meetings.
The AI would then cancel meetings it considered as potentially unsuccessful, even before they took place. This would allow Microsoft to help employees use their time in a more productive way for the company.
Does the company time-wasting patent take privacy into account?
Just like every other technology, that related to company time-wasting could theoretically be used for malicious purposes. The patent presented by Microsoft has caused a lot of concern, as the company has not provided any details of how it intends to safeguard and guarantee its employees’ privacy.
Many people are sceptical about it and view it as a plan designed to keep workers under control and assess them while they work. This trend is confirmed by Microsoft’s recent introduction of the ‘Productivity Score’ in Microsoft 365. This is a points based system which tracks the amount of time spent online, the number of emails sent and the amount of interaction via chat.
The question of privacy is a delicate one and, according to information available so far, the proposal put forward by the Richmond-based company would be illegal in several states. Despite this however, it should be noted that if this technology is used according to the correct criteria, the resulting benefits in terms of production could be enormous.
By using this instrument in fact, managers would be able to improve meetings, by identifying the ideal number of participants to invite and finding the optimal time and location for a meeting.
For this Microsoft initiative to become a decisive factor in company growth, it must be based on carefully constructed and robust regulation, sufficient to safeguard workers’ rights.
Translated by Joanne Beckwith
