Executive Summary
Many professionals begin the day intending to focus on meaningful, high-impact work, only to find themselves consumed by “work about work,” which refers to the time spent managing, coordinating, and communicating about work rather than performing the work itself.
At iSupport Worldwide, we believe professionals should have the opportunity to focus on meaningful work that develops their skills, showcases their strengths, and supports long-term career growth.
As a progressive offshoring company, iSupport Worldwide invests in both operational excellence and the growth of its people, helping team members build fulfilling careers while making a meaningful impact.
Have you ever ended a workday wondering where all your time went?
The problem isn’t necessarily a lack of effort or productivity. In many cases, it’s because an increasing amount of the workday is consumed by activities that support work rather than the work itself.
What is "work about work"?
“Work about work” refers to all the tasks we do to manage, coordinate, and communicate about work rather than performing the work itself.
These activities include:
- Attending status meetings
- Sending follow-up emails
- Updating project trackers
- Organizing files and documentation
- Coordinating schedules
- Searching for information across multiple tools
While these tasks are necessary to some degree, they can consume a significant portion of an employee’s day.
According to Asana’s Anatomy of Work Index, 60% of employees’ working time is spent on “work about work” rather than on skilled work. The report stated that these hours accumulate into significant productivity losses, with the average knowledge worker worldwide spending 103 hours annually in unnecessary meetings, 209 hours on duplicative work, and 352 hours discussing work.
This suggests that organizations may be losing substantial productivity not because of a lack of talent or effort, but because employees are burdened by inefficient processes, excessive coordination, and repetitive tasks that limit the time available for high-value, outcome-driven work.
How does this impact professionals like you?
When “work about work” takes over the day, professionals often experience several challenges.
Reduced productivity
Frequent interruptions make it difficult to concentrate on important tasks. Workers may spend more time discussing projects than actually advancing them. This can also limit chances to develop new skills, take on strategic projects, and pursue meaningful career opportunities.
Increased stress
The constant pressure to stay updated across different channels can create mental overload and workplace fatigue.
Lower job satisfaction
Most professionals find fulfillment in meaningful work. When administrative and coordination tasks dominate the day, motivation often decreases, leading to lower job satisfaction and a reduced sense of accomplishment.
Burnout risk
Long hours spent managing communication and administrative duties can contribute to employee burnout.
How can you deal with “work about work”?
While organizations play an important role in improving workplace efficiency, professionals can also take steps to regain control of their time.
Set boundaries around communication
Avoid checking emails and messages constantly by scheduling specific times to review them. Turn off non-essential notifications, use status indicators during focus periods, and communicate expected response times to colleagues. These practices reduce interruptions and help you stay focused on important work.
Organize your information
Keep files, notes, and project materials organized using a consistent folder structure and clear naming conventions. Store project documentation and important resources in centralized locations for easy access. Good organization minimizes time spent searching for information and improves overall efficiency.
Be selective with meetings
Evaluate meeting invitations before accepting them by considering whether your presence is necessary and whether the topic could be resolved through another channel. Request additional context when objectives are unclear. Being selective with meetings helps protect valuable work time and ensures your participation adds value.
Block time for deep work
Schedule dedicated focus time on your calendar and minimize distractions during these periods by silencing notifications and avoiding multitasking. Use this time for high-priority or complex tasks, especially during your most productive hours.
Protecting time for focused work can reduce exposure to the meetings, messages, and application switching that fragment attention. It can also give you more room to complete complex, high-priority work that demonstrates their capabilities.
Prioritize high-impact work
Start each day by identifying your most important priorities and completing them before addressing lower-value tasks. Focus on the outcomes you need to achieve rather than simply staying busy. Prioritizing high-impact work ensures your time and effort contribute meaningfully to your goals. and completing them before addressing lower-value tasks. Focus on the outcomes you need to achieve rather than simply staying busy. Prioritizing high-impact work ensures your time and effort contribute meaningfully to your goals.
Use technology to your advantage
Take advantage of automation, templates, task management tools, and AI-powered assistants to streamline routine tasks. By reducing administrative work and repetitive activities, technology allows you to focus more time on valuable things such as strategic thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, which are skills that support long-term career opportunities and professional growth.
Not all workplace challenges are yours to solve alone
While these strategies can help reduce the burden of “work about work,” the reality is that individual efforts can only go so far.
If inefficient processes, unnecessary meetings, and poor communication are deeply embedded in a company’s culture, professionals may continue to face the same challenges despite their best efforts.
No workplace can eliminate “work about work” entirely, but it’s important to be part of a progressive workplace that recognizes these challenges, embraces change, and is willing to continuously improve. Choosing an employer that values progress over tradition can have a meaningful impact on productivity, job satisfaction, and long-term career opportunities.
At iSupport Worldwide, we recognize that “work about work” isn’t just a productivity challenge, but also an employee experience challenge. That’s why we encourage team members to share feedback on processes, tools, and workflows that may create unnecessary complexity.
By embracing our core values to make it easy and be better, we continuously look for opportunities to simplify the way we work, reduce friction, and improve efficiency. As an offshoring company with a progressive workplace culture, we believe that reducing unnecessary complexity creates a better employee experience, supports higher job satisfaction, and allows team members to focus on meaningful work and future career opportunities.
Small improvements, informed by the people doing the work every day, can make a meaningful difference in helping professionals spend less time managing work and more time making an impact.
Choose a workplace that values improvement as much as performance: an offshoring company that invests in better processes also invests in its people, helping them achieve greater job satisfaction and long-term career growth.
Create Space for Higher-Impact Work
About The Author Shekina Malonzo is a Licensed Professional Teacher and Content Developer at iSupport Worldwide, specializing in creating tailored materials for the outsourcing and offshoring industry. She develops content that supports both client engagement and talent alignment. |
Founded in 2006, iSupport Worldwide is a US-owned offshoring leader based in the Philippines, delivering tailored solutions to enhance operational efficiency and exceed client expectations. Recognized on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing private companies for three consecutive years, honored in Inc. Magazine’s Power Partner Awards, and a recipient of the ACES Award for Inspiring Workplaces in Asia, iSupport Worldwide embodies a commitment to excellence. |