|
Reported by: Nurul Addina Azime  The project dashboard looks reassuring. Most tasks are green. Updates are coming in. On paper, everything is moving.
Then someone says, “Actually, we’ve been waiting two weeks for a decision.” It is a familiar moment in modern work. We have more ways to track progress than ever, yet the information on a screen does not always tell us what is happening between people, teams and decisions. A green dashboard may show completed tasks, but it may still hide blocked decisions, unclear ownership, quiet pressure, or low trust. The real question is not only whether we can see the work. It is whether people trust what will happen when the picture is less than perfect. By: Vivien Chong  AI is now part of many workplace conversations.
Leaders are asking what tools to use. Teams are exploring how to automate tasks. People are learning how to draft, summarise, analyse, and generate work faster. This is useful. AI can improve productivity at the task level. But I think leaders need to be careful about one assumption: That AI will fix how the organisation works. It will not. If the process is unclear, the tool will not solve it. In some cases, AI may only speed up the confusion. Reported by: Nurul Addina Azime  Last month, we asked whether we have been focusing too much on where people work.
As flexible work continues to be part of the workplace conversation in Malaysia, perhaps there is a more useful question to ask: Can work move clearly and fairly when people are working across different locations, teams and schedules? Because flexible work is not simply about allowing someone to work from home. It is about designing responsibilities, communication and workflows so that people can stay productive and connected — without needing to be online all the time. By: Vivien Chong  I used to think a good dashboard would solve many visibility problems.
If the work was tracked, surely people would update it. If the dashboard existed, surely meetings would become clearer. If the data was available, surely decisions would improve. But I learned, even in our own organisation, that this is not always true. At one point, I developed trackers and dashboards to improve visibility. On paper, they looked useful. But the team was not updating them consistently. Meetings were still getting longer. Important due dates were still being missed. Work was still getting stuck. By: Vivien Chong  Managers are often where organisational ambition meets daily reality.
In many organisations, managers are expected to lead change, drive adoption, improve performance, support wellbeing, and keep work moving. But many managers have never been properly taught how to structure work. Work From Home Is Back in the Conversation. But Maybe We've Been Asking the Wrong Question7/24/2026 Reported by: Nurul Addina Azime  We’ve all been here before, haven't we? The debate over where we work—home versus office—feels like a familiar script we’ve played out countless times. But as recent encouragement from the Malaysian government puts flexible work back in the spotlight, it’s worth asking ourselves: are we stuck debating the wrong question?
Following recent encouragement from Malaysia's Human Resources Ministry for employers to consider flexible work arrangements where operationally suitable, WFH has returned to the workplace conversation. Can teams stay productive? Will communication become more difficult? How do we ensure work keeps moving? These are valid questions. In fact, many of us asked the same ones a few years ago. Reported by: Nurul Addina Azime  Welcome back to my thoughts this month.
I came across something from the World Economic Forum recently that made me pause longer than usual. Not because it was talking about AI. But because it was really talking about people. And it led me to a simple question: Why do some organizations move forward confidently with AI, while others struggle — even when they have access to the same tools? The answer, I believe, is not technology. It’s readiness. Human readiness. By: Vivien Chong  Many organisations are investing in better tools, new systems, dashboards, and now AI.
But the work still feels fragmented.
This is something I see often in growing organisations, especially SMEs. The problem is usually not a lack of technology. It is a lack of operational clarity. By: Vivien Chong  Last month, we ran a Smartsheet Empowerment session with a simple goal:
Start with how work actually flows — then explore how Smartsheet can support it in a practical, meaningful way. Of course, like most good working sessions… it didn’t stay “simple” for very long. And honestly, that’s what made it valuable. Reported by: Nurul Addina Azime  Recently, Gallup released an interesting workplace study with a headline that instantly caught my attention: “Leaders Have Better Lives but Worse Days.At first glance, it sounds contradictory.
Based on my reading, I found it quite interesting because honestly… It feels very relatable to today’s working environment. Usually when we think about leaders or managers, we imagine they have everything under control. Better salary, more flexibility, more experience — basically a “better life.” And according to the article, that part is actually true. Leaders tend to feel more fulfilled and engaged in their work overall. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
This company is registered with the Ministry of Finance, Malaysia.
Equip your organisation with digital solutions & training that inspire innovation and joy at work. Copyright © 2025 57Network Consultancy Sdn. Bhd. Company Registration number : 202001020346 (1376666-K) All rights reserved. |