What Takes Up Time in Workplace Communication? Survey on 'Small Inefficiencies' in Meetings, Messaging, and Information Sharing (Japan Media System Survey)

Meetings, emails, chats, and phone calls are essential parts of daily work. However, small inefficiencies often arise in routine interactions—such as meetings running longer than scheduled, spending time searching for information, or waiting for confirmations and approvals.

Especially as work styles and communication methods have diversified, while information sharing has become easier, it has also become harder to know where and to whom information was communicated, where the latest documents are stored, or who is responsible for what. These small inconveniences, while not individually burdensome, can accumulate and impact daily work hours and overall team productivity.

Therefore, Japan Media System Co., Ltd. (https://www.jm-s.co.jp/), provider of the 'LiveOn' communication platform series, conducted a survey of 200 company employees, civil servants, executives, and self-employed individuals aged 20–69. The survey examined what aspects of workplace meetings, communication, and information sharing consume time, what causes inconvenience or inefficiency, and what systems or features would be helpful for improving efficiency.

We hope this survey helps organizations re-evaluate the small inefficiencies hidden in daily communication and find ways to make meetings, messaging, and information sharing smoother.

Table of Contents

Survey 1: What aspects of meetings, communication, and information sharing feel time-consuming?

Survey 2: What do you find inconvenient or inefficient in workplace communication?

Survey 3: What systems or features would help make communication more efficient?

Summary: 'Ease of searching' and 'ease of sharing' are key to efficient workplace communication

Q1. What aspect of workplace meetings, communication, or information sharing feels most time-consuming?

The most common specific response was 'attending and preparing for meetings' at 14.5% (29 people). In addition to actual meeting time, activities such as reviewing materials and organizing agendas contribute to the perception that meetings consume more work hours than expected. While meetings are essential for decision-making and information sharing, unclear frequency or purpose can make them a burden on daily operations.

Next were 'checking and replying to emails, chats, and phone calls' at 12.0% (24 people), and 'searching for necessary documents or past communications' at 11.5% (23 people). While the increase in communication tools and sharing methods allows easier access to information, it also increases the effort required to check multiple tools and histories.

Additionally, 'scheduling and preparing meeting minutes' accounted for 10.0% (20 people), and 'waiting for replies, confirmations, or approvals from others' for 7.5% (15 people). It is clear that significant time is spent not only on the meetings themselves but also on preparatory and follow-up tasks, as well as waiting for responses from colleagues.

Furthermore, 'repeated sharing of the same content or confirming and correcting misunderstandings' accounted for 4.5% (9 people), indicating that efforts to correct communication errors or misalignments also consume time.

On the other hand, the most common overall response was 'I don’t particularly feel time-consuming' or 'few applicable situations' at 40.0% (80 people).

While a certain number of people do not strongly feel the burden of meetings, communication, or information sharing, the other responses suggest that small interactions and verification tasks in daily work gradually consume time.

Q2. What do you find inconvenient or inefficient in workplace meetings, communication, and information sharing? (Multiple responses allowed: Note 1)

Note 1: This question allows multiple selections, limited to three choices, to better identify key pain points.

The most common response was 'meetings or discussions run longer than scheduled' at 21.5% (43 people). While meetings are necessary for information sharing and decision-making, overruns can easily affect subsequent tasks. Some may feel that work time meant for other tasks is being compressed due to overly broad topics or prolonged discussions before reaching conclusions.

Next, 'too many meetings or discussions' and 'lack of unified rules for communication, reporting, and information sharing' both received 15.0% (30 people). Even if individual meetings are short, frequent meetings increase the burden when including preparation and follow-up checks. Additionally, if reporting methods or sharing rules differ by person or department, it becomes harder to know where to share information, increasing verification effort.

Moreover, 'unclear responsibility for who does what by when' was selected by 14.0% (28 people), and 'slow replies, confirmations, or approvals from others' by 13.5% (27 people). Without clear ownership or deadlines, follow-up checks may be needed later, or tasks may stall. Waiting for confirmations or approvals also hinders progress on one’s own work.

Other responses included 'meetings start without clear purpose or agenda' and 'communication tools (email, phone, chat) are scattered' at 13.0% each (26 people), and 'difficulty scheduling meetings' and 'need to share the same content with multiple people or through multiple channels' at 12.5% each (25 people). Small inefficiencies—such as poor meeting preparation, fragmented communication tools, and redundant sharing—are accumulating in daily operations.

Additionally, 'not knowing where necessary documents or latest information are located' was 11.0% (22 people), 'too many messages and notifications make it hard to spot important ones' was 9.5% (19 people), and 'difficulty checking meeting outcomes or past communications' was 8.5% (17 people). While increased information volume brings convenience, it also creates effort in searching for needed information or identifying critical messages.

Lastly, 'difficulty sharing information in online meetings or remote environments' and 'other' were both 3.5% (7 people).

Q3. What systems or features would help make workplace meetings, communication, and information sharing more efficient? (Multiple responses allowed: Note 2)

Note 2: This question allows multiple selections, limited to three choices, to better identify desired efficiency features.

The most common response was 'ability to easily search past messages and documents' at 18.0% (36 people). As the volume of meeting and communication content grows, the need to search for information afterward increases. A feature that allows quick access to past conversations and documents could significantly reduce time spent on verification.

Next, 'ability to manage meeting outcomes and action items as tasks' was selected by 14.5% (29 people), and 'using chat, online meetings, and file sharing within a single service' by 14.0% (28 people). As