Productivity Trends for 2026 and Beyond

Since the end of the pandemic, employers have been trying to balance productivity with employee satisfaction. It hasn’t gone well.

While up slightly in 2025, U.S. worker productivity has increased by a meager 1.8% since 2019. Meanwhile, according to Gallup, only 31% of U.S. workers are engaged in their workplace. Nearly 60 million Americans report suffering from some form of mental illness, and 50% say they are stressed at work.

The contributors to this problem are varied and many. The return to the office has been rocky. Employees are bombarded daily with email, social media, and a seemingly unlimited number of work obligations. Business owners face the added burden of managing an increasingly chaotic operating environment — everything from shifting economic variables like tariffs to growing compliance complexity to rapidly evolving technologies such as AI.

The result is that both managers and employees are experiencing burnout simultaneously.

Below, we offer a practical formula for maximizing profitability while creating a productive work environment where employees can thrive in 2026 and beyond.

Begin With a Clear Strategy and Vision

Creating a clear vision and a focused set of strategic priorities is the glue that binds a management team and governs how work gets done. Many executives confuse having a list of quarterly “rocks” with having a strategy. But strategy is not a task list — it’s a theory of how you will win and what must change.

Companies must begin with a thoughtful analysis of their market, customers, and competitive position before they can define meaningful strategic priorities. Those priorities then govern quarterly work.

Managers should focus on capability-building — developing systems, processes, and technology that enable productivity at scale. They should not spend most of their time executing client work. When managers are stuck in execution, productivity stalls.

Focus on the Vital Few

The work that needs to be done varies dramatically by role. One reason clarity around priorities matters is that it balances managerial workload. In particular, mid-level managers can get consumed by “piranha projects” — small initiatives that nibble away at time and energy without moving the business forward.

As a rule, managers should focus on no more than 3 to 4 major initiatives at a time. Studies reveal a correlation between the number of priorities a worker is asked to manage and their level of stress. In mid-market companies, complexity requires that work be managed through cross-functional teams rather than individuals operating in silos.

Good managers nurture employees and delegate effectively.

The Management System

Organizations that scale build management systems that support decision-making and execution. This includes the right meeting cadence, clear reporting, and effective collaboration tools. A strong management system ensures that information flows quickly and decisions are made at the right level.

As companies evolve from small private concerns to thriving mid-market companies, they manage large, complex projects (such as acquisitions or ERP implementations) effectively. This means mastering project management and providing the resources to manage change. For smaller companies, there needs to be a Chief of Staff or similar role capable of project management. Companies grow to the point where they need a Project Management Office (PMO).

Want to get ahead of the curve? Watch Marc Emmer explore Business Trends for 2026 and Beyond in this on-demand webinar and blog series.

Technology Enablement

More than ever, management teams must embrace technology that drives productivity. While AI dominates headlines, adoption has been slower than expected. Tools like Microsoft Copilot and ChatGPT already add value by rewriting emails, drafting documents, and creating schedules. However, the real productivity leap will come from AI agents that execute work autonomously.

That said, companies don’t need to wait for full agent deployment. Work can be organized today into repeatable workflows and workstreams. Many processes — approvals, onboarding, reporting — can be automated even without advanced AI.

Internal communication is another overlooked lever. While many organizations have shifted away from email, some still heavily rely on it internally. Work threads in platforms like Teams or Slack are far more efficient and reduce unnecessary back-and-forth.

Finding Information

It is estimated that knowledge workers spend 23% of their time looking for information.

Companies are using new tools, such as retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), to enable queries to find internal information. In the interim, members are using tools such as Notion to create knowledge bases to find the things they need, such as standard operating procedures. Organizing internal information can be a quick win to improve productivity.

Managing Time in the Age of Chaos

Against this backdrop, leaders must rethink how they manage time. New approaches range from focus apps to four-day workweeks, all aimed at improving productivity while reducing stress.

Research on ultra-short workweeks suggests mixed results; compressing the same workload into fewer hours is often counter-productive. Simpler tactics may be more effective. Eliminating a day of meetings per week in favor of focused work has delivered measurable benefits for many organizations.

Ultimately, organizations must work smarter. That means using the right technology, building better systems, and being crystal clear about what work truly matters.

Here are practical time management hacks to consider:

• Use an OKR methodology: OKRs, the system used in Silicon Valley, are an effective way to cascade goals throughout an organization. Use one-to-ones to manage OKRs and the corresponding priorities for every employee.
• Time boxing: Knowledge workers (such as senior managers) must find time for uninterrupted work to focus on strategic project work and complete tasks. For example, dedicate Fridays to this purpose.
• Habit stacking: Made popular by James Clear, habit stacking involves completing important daily or weekly repeatable tasks in a sequence. Using checklists can achieve the same outcome, but today, automations and agents are useful in completing repeatable tasks.
• Kill unnecessary meetings: Standing meetings can often be cancelled when there are no decisions to be made.
• Make the best use of the meetings you need: It’s still commonplace for management teams to hold meetings without clear agendas, recaps, or communication to stakeholders. With today’s AI notetakers such as Fathom, this is easily remedied.

It’s time to ensure your team is enabled for better productivity in 2026 and beyond.

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