productivity

11 Cool Things Copilot Can Do in Excel

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Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant in Excel is becoming increasingly useful for spreadsheet work. It can perform various actions, including cleaning up spreadsheets, creating new columns or rows, generating pivot tables, applying conditional formatting, and creating charts and graphs. Copilot can also explain formulas, create custom formulas, summarize spreadsheets, identify trends or unusual values, calculate hypothetical projections, and be embedded within cells for further functionality.

https://www.computerworld.com/article/4119411/11-cool-things-copilot-can-do-in-excel.html

Most Workers Spend 3+ Hours Per Week Cleaning up AI Workslop

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TLDR: Workers spend 3+ hours weekly revising low-quality AI outputs, known as “AI workslop.” Despite this, 92% believe AI boosts productivity, indicating it saves more time than it costs. Key issues stem from AI in data analysis and untrained employees, leading to negative consequences like rejections and lost clients. Training can improve outcomes, with 94% of trained workers citing productivity gains. Accountability in AI-generated work remains crucial.

https://zapier.com/blog/ai-workslop/?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=itbl-gbl-pgv-ooc-_all__blog_ai_workslop_20260126-ctn

The Coordination Tax, CodeGood

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AI is transforming company structures by reducing the need for headcount dedicated to coordination. Small firms, leveraging AI, can operate with significantly fewer employees while maintaining or increasing efficiency. Traditional roles focused on coordination are diminishing, as AI can handle tasks faster and cheaper. Executives must recognize the extent to which their roles are reliant on coordination rather than valuable judgment. Companies that adapt to this shift towards smaller teams supported by AI will provide competitive advantages, making sense of whether their work is truly irreplaceable or merely patterned responses that AI can replicate.

https://codegood.co/writing/the-coordination-tax

Managers Are Unprepared to Lead a Human-agent Hybrid Workforce

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Managers unprepared for hybrid workforce with AI agents; work nature changes as tasks shift from humans to autonomous systems, requiring new leadership approaches and collaboration strategies. Skills in agent orchestration may overshadow domain expertise, risking workforce capability. Companies must rethink career metrics and nurture strategic, judgment-based skills as AI handles execution tasks, fostering a need for intentional team collaboration amidst AI integration.

https://digiday.com/sponsored/managers-are-unprepared-to-lead-a-human-agent-hybrid-workforce/

Three Things to Know About Implementing Workplace AI Tools

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Summary: AI tools in workplaces may disrupt workflows and impair performance, often affirming poor judgment rather than enhancing decision-making. Research indicates that human-AI combinations typically underperform compared to their individual capabilities. Before implementation, leaders should assess potential benefits and drawbacks of AI for employee performance.

https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/three-things-to-know-about-implementing-workplace-ai-tools/

The Cause for Pause: How Speed Can Negatively Impact Progress

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Speed in tech can hinder progress; CIOs must know when to pause. Rapid activity doesn't mean effective results; busy doesn't equate to productive. Strategic pauses help navigate decisions, manage resistance, align metrics with outcomes, and guide transitions. Establish decision checkpoints and track indicators beyond speed. Overemphasis on velocity leads to technical debt, burnout, and strategic drift. Instead of racing, organizations should find the optimal pace for meaningful progress and thoughtful leadership decisions.

https://nationalcioreview.com/articles-insights/leadership/the-cause-for-pause-how-speed-can-negatively-impact-progress/

The Math of Why You Can’t Focus at Work

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TLDR: The article explores how interruptions, recovery periods, and focus thresholds (λ, Δ, and θ) mathematically impact productivity at work. It reveals that frequent interruptions lead to less effective workdays, emphasizing the need to manage these factors to improve focus and productivity. Simulations show shifting from high interruptions to lower rates significantly enhances output, indicating control over work conditions can lead to more successful workdays.

https://justoffbyone.com/posts/math-of-why-you-cant-focus-at-work/

Measuring and Scaling AI Agent Value Beyond Productivity Gains

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The article emphasizes the importance of measuring AI agent value beyond productivity by focusing on business outcomes and strategic metrics. It suggests a phased rollout approach for AI implementation to minimize risk and maximize impact, while positioning the CIO as a strategic enabler in businesses. Ultimately, the call to action is to embrace agentic AI for transformative potential, urging CIOs to secure executive buy-in and showcase the technology's advantages.

https://www.cio.com/article/4090235/measuring-and-scaling-ai-agent-value-beyond-productivity-gains.html

Advice for Time Management as a Manager

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TLDR: Time management as a manager differs from being an individual contributor. Key changes include juggling priorities, focusing on team output, and adapting to a manager’s schedule. Managers must set realistic expectations, prioritize tasks, delegate effectively, and create focused time for deep work. In overwhelming situations, follow a checklist to triage tasks and manage workload.

https://www.benkuhn.net/tmgr/

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