Embracing the new age of agility
The uncertainty of the past two years has created a clash of work cultures, but leaders can transform this rare moment into a profound opportunity. We surveyed 10,624 global employees to learn what’s working—and what's not—in their organizations. Some of what we discovered is on this page. All of what we learned is in the full report.
Champion change and avoid the burnout black hole
Employees are stuck. Work about work is still wasting the majority of their time, despite massive shocks to the core of the workplace. Teams get lost in the abyss of vague tasks and processes. What’s worse is that now they’re losing time on strategy, too. The good news? Companies can escape this void with clearer cross-team methods that keep organizations advancing with the ebbs and flows of change.
Listen up leaders—teams need your support
Challenges will inevitably surface, but they don't have to stay. To alleviate burnout and imposter syndrome, leaders can be transparent on organizational goals, give training, develop mentorship programs, and provide mental health resources. Managers need to model taking time off, stop working outside of business hours, and be honest about their own work burnout. Making these changes is key to attracting top talent, retaining employees, and emphasizing psychological safety at work. And it improves the well-being of both the employees and the business.
Employees are spending 27% more time this year on skilled work—but nearly 36% less time on strategy.
Managers are losing 62% of their workdays on work about work.
Asana’s 2022 Anatomy of Work Global Index uncovered what 10,624 global employees say about their work life. All the insights are waiting for you in the report.
“It’s not enough for us to execute more in isolation—companies need a playbook to bring back debate, open dialogue, and proper brainstorming in an increasingly remote world.”
Dr. Sahar Yousef, Cognitive Neuroscientist and lecturer at Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley.
Teams rotate through spaces on the same schedule
People are working from home some days and from the office on others. Flexibility with work hours and location is a net positive change, but too much flexibility creates confusion and workplace FOMO. Organizations and teams can benefit by aligning on a set weekly schedule that clearly defines quiet time to work alone at home and collaborative time to work in the office on shared projects.
Endless galaxies of blinking notifications
Organizations rely on a multitude of disjointed apps. Workers constantly switch their attention to whatever notification pings next—causing inefficiency, missed action items, and longer hours. When teams reduce the number of apps they’re using and choose tools that streamline work, employees can easily find their center of gravity and focus on what matters most.
49% see the office as more of a social space than they used to, while 41% feel more isolated when working remotely.
48% think more efficient meetings could limit notifications, while 45% think clearer responsibilities would do the same.
Employees are sounding the alarm
42% of workers experience burnout and imposter syndrome at the same time.
24% of workers believe too many meetings directly lead to missed deadlines.
33% of workers say their attention span is shorter than it was a year ago.
40% of workers think burnout is an inevitable part of success.
The new North Star is an agile workplace
When leadership lights the way with dynamic and clear processes, workers can gain increased focus and teams can move together effortlessly. That means organizations become free to prioritize an essential characteristic of a scaling company: agility. And in this era of coordinated clarity and frequent flexibility, everything—and everyone—shines a little brighter.
Navigate the New Era
Key research and takeaways for leaders, workers, and teams ready to explore the age of the agile workplace.