📈 Forecasting 2022's productivity trends and must-have tools.
+ a look back at 2021's workspace productivity predictions.
The past couple years have been a pretty interesting time for our productivity. From having to change our lifestyle completely due to the pandemic, to facing a new set of challenges mentally due to the new adjustments.
Would 2022 be any different? Will there be new emerging trends that would affect our productivity in a good nor a bad way? In the first Monday Mavens edition of 2022, find out the apps, software, and websites you will need to ride the trends along.
Throwing it back
At the start of 2021, there were many predictions made on how the pandemic would continue to impact productivity. But throughout the year, we got used to the new lifestyle and even implemented new and improved ways of living, like hybrid work.
Here are some of the predicted productivity trends that were made back in early 2021:
Better Home Offices. Reuters estimated that the amount of people working from home would double in 2021, compared to 2020. More investments then were made to create a suitable home office environment.
More Collaboration. As people get more confident with video meetings, collaboration will become the norm and it will also be easier, thanks to the likes of Zoom and other virtual meeting tools.
AI for the Win. AI tools are finally getting advanced enough that they’re user-friendly and helpful. Read more about AI and its role in the Metaverse in this past Monday Mavens edition.
Rise of On-Demand Videos. Taking virtual meetings a step further, the practice of pre-recording messages for colleagues or clients were expected to boom in 2021.
Starting Side Hustles. With more freedom in hand due to working remotely, more people would pursue side hustles based on their passions. Watch our discussion on whether side hustles caused burn out in this IGTV.
New Ways to Recharge. Taking breaks at the office and at home could be very different. Mini breaks such as reading a chapter of a book, listening to a podcast, or taking a short walk, were predicted to rise in popularity.
Out of all the predicted trends of 2021 above, which ones actually came true for you, personally?
Trends to watch in 2022
Some things in 2022 will stay relatively the same as they were in 2021, but some are also heading in a different direction. Business Optimizer has gathered the 5 productivity practices that would most likely shine in 2022:
The “work from home” trend will continue.
According to the Nitro productivity report for 2022, 46% of workers expect to work from home more in 2022. Moreover, 84% of companies in the APAC region plan to make moderate to extensive hybrid work changes.
An increased focus on working towards net zero.
Businesses will need to have a plan for how they are going to achieve net zero soon, ideally by the end of this decade. There might be redrafting of strategic goals and business plans to adjust work processes.
Ditch the plastic for more sustainable products.
In 2022, it will be even easier to switch to more sustainable options in our daily life. See the 22 ways you can make your home office more sustainable here, and calculate how much carbon footprint you actually produce in a year here.
Productivity monitoring.
Forbes has come out with their rundown of 2022 workplace trends, which includes employers investing more in employee monitoring and analytics. Employers will need to be mindful of the ethics of employee data collection.
A changing emphasis from efficiency to resilience.
Gartner reports that organizational resilience will be highlighted in 2021, which is contrast to 2019, when 55% of organizational redesigns were focused on streamlining roles, supply chains and workflows.
Which of the forecasted trends above do you think would thrive in 2022? Or, are some of them already starting to show up in this first of week 2022?
Productivity tools you can’t miss
Keeping up with the latest productivity trends could be overwhelming. There are so many useful apps, websites, and tools out there that could help with our daily routine. To get your 2022 started, here is a list of productivity tools you need to check out:
Find out more about each tool and how they work in the full article by Protocol here.
So.. what do you think? Are these trends exciting, or on the contrary, daunting?
Regardless, we hope that this Monday Mavens edition will help you prepare for what’s to come in 2022.
Stick with us for more personal growth and productivity insights throughout 2022.
See you again next week!