Teams Focus & Productivity

Project Mgmt Tool Kit

⁠

Allison Vendt, Senior Director, Global Head of People PMO⁠

Key Terms : async-by-default mindset & core collaboration hours

That’s one of the key findings from a new research study

Dropbox⁠

commissioned from

Economist Impact⁠

to better understand the challenges of modern work and how strategies for distributed teams can help increase focus and drive productivity. We’re really excited to dive into the research and share the findings! Here are some of our key takeaways: - Two-thirds of knowledge workers say they work flexible hours at home, and those who do are more likely to report improvements in focus time, quality of work, and well-being. Work models like Virtual First provide the flexibility that enables our employees to do their best work and be their best selves. At Dropbox, for example, 88% of our employees said they are successful in Virtual First, and 83% can do their jobs effectively. - Intentional practices and strategies are key to helping knowledge workers preserve time for focused work. For companies, making the choice to be remote-first can’t stop there - employees also need the right technology and frameworks in place to be set up for success.

That’s why we utilize practices like an async-by-default mindset and core collaboration hours to help optimize focus time -

and it’s paying off, with 76% of Dropboxers reporting having enough focus time according to a recent employee survey. - Distractions happen no matter where you work, and we’re losing a lot of hours to them. But technology, like automation tools and AI, can help us do our work even better. With the products we’re building, like practices and Dropbox AI, we’re addressing the focus deficit head on. Today at our Work in Progress: Perspectives conference, we brought together a panel of experts including

Darren Murph⁠

Annie Dean⁠

Mónica Ballesteros⁠

, and our very own

Alastair Simpson⁠

, to discuss the study’s findings, why flexibility is vital to productivity and optimizing focus, our Virtual First model, and how AI and automation tools will shape the future of work. Through all of these learnings, we’re committed to continuously evolving our Virtual First strategy and ensuring our employees get the support they need to thrive — wherever is best for them. I hope the study findings help you and your team figure out new strategies to find focus and enhance the way you work. And make sure to also check out

virtualfirst.dropbox.com⁠

to learn more about how we're working in Virtual First.

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