Zoey’s eye on the future of work

Zoey plays a crucial role at Empowering Titans in driving actions and tasks that align with the company’s vision and strategy in an agile business environment. Empowering Titans, dedicated to sustainable solutions, is empowering the workforce to work smarter and leaner with the advent of new technologies that allow for optimization and transformation behind the walls of corporate America.

Zoey observed that the team was bogged down by a high volume of emails and inefficient approval processes. She decided to implement a task-oriented approach using Microsoft Teams and its integrated apps.

With an articulated plan, Zoey introduced Microsoft Teams as the central platform for task assignments and communication. She trained the team on using Teams for task management, emphasizing the reduction of email usage for task assignments.

Knowing that there was a skills gap on the team, she created demos that walked through the integrated Approvals app that would streamline approval workflows, allowing team members to submit and track approvals directly in Teams. She developed a how to guide detailing the use of the Microsoft Loop Components to create shared, real-time collaborative documents and task lists, enhancing team collaboration during meetings and projects.

Part of Zoey’s approach included highlighting the environmental impact of optimized workflows. Knowledge workers rely heavily on computers, servers, and other electronic equipment that consume significant amounts of energy. She outlined that by optimizing workflows and processes, knowledge workers can reduce unnecessary computing cycles, minimize idle times, and consolidate workloads. This not only simplifies complexity but also reduces energy usage, translating into lower greenhouse gas emissions and a smaller environmental footprint for the organization.

Zoey also recognized the need for a comprehensive digital adoption strategy to ensure all EAs could leverage these new tools effectively and deepen their digital literacy. On partnership with the internal IT department and WalkMe, Zoey spearheaded the creation of a digital adoption platform [DAP] tailored for EAs that complemented the administrative operations playbook, which was subsequently implemented at Empowering Titans. This platform provided interactive tutorials, guided workflows, and on-demand support, making it easier for EAs to transition to new digital tools and methods.

Taking these steps, Zoey increased the overall efficiency of the team. Over a three-month period, reports signaled that the team experienced a 25% reduction in the time spent on managing emails and approvals. The improved collaboration efforts led to better coordination and faster decision-making. Zoey also introduced methods to aggregate and organize data into actionable forms, which influenced the team to focus on what matters most and inspired them to take ownership and accountability in deepening their digital literacy to remain relevant in the rapidly evolving ecosystem where sustainability is top of mind. Leaders observed improved completion rates and noted that their overall ESG commitment was moving in a positive direction.

By leveraging task management software and integrated apps like ‘Approvals’ and ‘Loop Components’ in Microsoft Teams, Zoey streamlined actions, activities, events, and workflows. This task-oriented approach helped to reduce technostress, enhanced productivity, and allowed the workforce to deepen their focus. Adopting these tools, introducing digital adoption platforms [DAP], enhancing digital literacy and adopting new methods will prepare organizations for the future.