sharing stories of tech, travel, data & AI
The publisher of Decisively Digital, Wiley, has informed me that our book is now officially nominated for the prestigious Financial Times and McKinsey Business Book of the Year Award 2021.
The nomination itself is a very big achievement. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that we win this award!
Thank you, everyone, for making this possible — and for the uplifting and inspiring words:
Our book Decisively Digital is the number 1 new release in Organizational Change on Amazon!
The paperback of Decisively Digital became available yesterday in the US, with other territories soon to follow.
It took a village to finish this book. Many thanks to all of you:
My new book Decisively Digital — From Creating a Culture to Designing Strategy is now available for pre-order at most bookstores. The ebook is already available:
Book’s website | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books A Million | IndieBound | Thalia | published by Wiley
Check out 24 gripping interviews with Elissa Fink, Mohamed Abdel Hadi, Dr. Henna Karna, Derek Roos, Edna Conway, Kerem Tomak, André Rabold, Bora Beran, Florian Ramseger, Tatyana Yakushev, Patrick Kirchgäßner, Jordan Morrow, Yilian Villanueva Martinez, Lee Feinberg, Mark Kromer, Sarah Burnett, Andreas Kopp, Cameron Turner, Christy Marble, Prof. Dr. Patrick Glauner, Vladimir Alexeev, Sofie Blakstad, Sven Sommerfeld, and Ian Choo. Thanks also to Bernard Marr for the foreword, Patrick Walsh for editing, and everyone for supporting me in the preparation and reviews.
More about the book — from the back cover:
INSIGHTS AND APPLICATIONS FROM 24 LEADERS OF THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION FROM CREATING A CULTURE TO DESIGNING STRATEGY
Today’s business world is Decisively Digital. Across the business landscape, the leaders rising to the top are the ones who can think big-picture about data, AI, analytics, and beyond. How do we build new capabilities around digital, so we can push into the future with full steam? That’s the question at the heart of the twenty-four incisive interviews inside this unique collection of up-to-the-minute expertise from the people who are moving business forward.
With this book, your mentors are the very digital masterminds behind some of today’s top global organizations. Discover how tech giants are reinventing the world of work, how the financial sector is streamlining with data analytics, and what the latest AI research means for the businesses of today and tomorrow. You’ll also gain access to a toolkit of updates, further reading, and digital strategy ideas on the included companion website.
Discover the inspiration you need to evolve your business for the digital age and learn to:
“Alexander […] has brought together some of the brightest voices and smartest thought leaders from leading organisations across many industries, to bring you unmissable insights and real-world examples to showcase how technology can improve your businesses and drive business results today and tomorrow.”
—Bernard Marr, Futurist, influencer and best-selling author of Tech Trends in Practice and The Intelligence Revolution
“Decisively Digital is decisively executive. Great experts, great interviews, and great insights combine to a crisp, cohesive and powerful story. It would be quite a mistake for any (aspiring) leader not to dive into this book, so I will definitely put it on the list of mandatory readings for my future students!”
—Markus Maedler, Director Executive MBA Programmes at Frankfurt School of Finance & Management
Thank you all who helped me to complete this book — and please feel free to share the news:
The 4 day workweek Microsoft experiment is a groundbreaking initiative that has captured global attention. By embracing a four-day workweek in Japan, Microsoft achieved a 40% boost in productivity. This article explores the details of the experiment, its implications, and how it aligns with the broader trends in automation and work efficiency.
The 4th industrial revolution is upon us, and with it comes a new era of efficiency and productivity. Automation is transforming nearly all areas of our lives, allowing us to achieve superior results in less time. This evolution is not only reshaping our work but also improving our work–life balance. A century ago, a six-day workweek was the norm. The industrial revolution then ushered in the five-day workweek. Now, the 4-day workweek is not just a possibility but an inevitability, driven by technological advancements.
The concept of a 4-day workweek is not new, but it has gained traction in recent years. Companies like Microsoft are leading the way, recognizing that reduced working hours can lead to increased efficiency and happier employees. This shift is more than a trend; it’s a response to the changing nature of work in the digital age.
If you’re interested in understanding how Japan’s urban intensity contrasts with its evolving work culture, my Tokyo travel experience vividly portrays the relentless pace and energy of Tokyo. The very atmosphere that seems to demand a traditional, grueling workweek is also the backdrop for this revolutionary change.
In a bold move, Microsoft tested a four-day workweek in Japan, allowing employees to enjoy a three-day weekend. By limiting meetings to 30 minutes and promoting remote communication, they achieved a 40% boost in productivity, measured as sales revenue per employee. This experiment proved that a shorter workweek doesn’t mean cutting salaries; it means working smarter.
This experiment reflects a broader cultural shift in Japan, a country where even culinary traditions are being modernized. In my post on Tokyo’s best sushi experiences, I discuss how top sushi chefs balance tradition with innovation—much like how Microsoft is blending conventional work practices with modern efficiency strategies.
For those who’ve experienced the bustle of Shibuya Crossing, this shift may seem as chaotic as navigating Tokyo’s busiest intersection. However, just as Shibuya embodies the organized chaos of city life, Microsoft’s experiment shows that structure can emerge from what seems like an overwhelming change.
This blog post is inspired by a recent LinkedIn discussion and reflects some of the ideas in our new book, Decisively Digital: From Creating Culture to Designing Strategy. This book delves into the digital transformation journey, providing insights and strategies for businesses to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Ready to embrace the future of work? Explore the 4-day workweek and other innovative strategies in Decisively Digital (Amazon). Follow me on Twitter and LinkedIn for more insights on digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and business analytics.
Everyone has experienced days that are almost completely filled with meetings. Since business trips have become redundant due to the Covid-19 pandemic and you no longer need to plan in any travel time, it is very tempting to fill in the remaining gaps in your schedule with new tasks – and in the worst case, there is no time for lunch.
Is this the type of modern work we want to experience? Below we have put together some ideas and suggestions that can help to make your working day more pleasant.
A 5-minute break after a meeting can be incredibly revitalizing – especially when meetings are often back-to-back. Outlook gives you the option to automatically schedule meetings 5 minutes shorter:
Once you have shortened your meetings by 5 minutes, you need to make sure that everyone sticks to it.
To make sure nobody schedules a meeting during your lunch break, a lunch blocker can help you here. Just create an appointment series:
If all the colleagues in your team create a lunch blocker for the same time, it’s (almost) like having lunch together.
If you also have children who need to be taken to daycare, kindergarten, or school, an appointment series can serve the same purpose here. As it is usually possible to make calls while in the car, you can also leave a note with your phone number in the appointment series so that your colleagues know how to reach you when you’re on the road.
When pinging colleagues on Teams, don’t simply write “Hello”, as each message distracts them from their current task. While you are typing the remaining message, your colleague is very likely to wait until you have sent it. Even though it might seem impolite or even rushed at first, it is easier for your colleagues if you get right to the point. It is therefore a good idea to type the whole message and send it in one go.
The same goes for calls. Instead of pinging a colleague before calling them and typing “Hello” or “Hello, are you free for a quick call?” it’s better to give them some information beforehand, such as the topic and the estimated duration of the call. For example, you could write “Hello, do you have 3 minutes to discuss topic XYZ with me?” That allows your counterpart to estimate whether they can take the time for this particular call.
For more information on chat and call etiquette, check out this link: aka.ms/NoHello
To reduce the number of meetings you need to attend, it is helpful to ask yourself the following questions before sending out meeting invites:
Each meeting should be critically questioned and the most important meetings prioritized. Before attending a meeting, it helps to ask yourself the question: Do I have an active contribution to make to the meeting, or do I only need to read the meeting minutes?
Do not hesitate to actively leverage AI-based technologies. MyAnalytics gives you the option to automatically block focus times. With just one click, not only dedicated times can be blocked for you, but these blockers also automatically change your status on Teams to “Don’t Disturb”. Thus you can simulate, for example, your travel times. More information about the features of MyAnalytics can be found by following this link.
Outlook also gives you various options that can help you save time and focus on the essentials. You can use email rules to automatically move mail to different Outlook folders. For example, you can determine that all cc messages are placed in a separate folder. That allows you to dedicate time to reading these messages as required. The goal is that at the end of the day your inbox is empty (zero-inbox policy) so that you can start afresh the next day. You can also deactivate Outlook push notifications so that you are not distracted by pop up notifications during important activities.
What are your ideas for a more productive workday? We’d like to read your suggestions in the comments below.
Written by Sophia Cullen and Alexander Loth. This post is also published on LinkedIn. Also, this post has influenced some of the thoughts in our new book, Decisively Digital (www.decisivelydigital.org).
👉 Check out 5 ð™‹ð™§ð™¤ð™™ð™ªð™˜ð™©ð™žð™«ð™žð™©ð™® ð™ƒð™–ð™˜ð™ 𙨠ð™©ð™¤ ð™žð™¢ð™¥ð™§ð™¤ð™«ð™š ð™®ð™¤ð™ªð™§ ð™ˆð™šð™šð™©ð™žð™£ð™œ ð˜¾ð™ªð™¡ð™©ð™ªð™§ð™š! What are your ideas for a more productive workday? We’d love to read your ideas. 💡#modernwork #modernworkplace #worklifeflow #workfromhome https://t.co/lOxLkxojki
— Alexander Loth (@xlth) November 27, 2020
