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What are Insights in Business?

7th November 2024

Insights in business refer to information about employee performance, operational efficiency and market trends.  These insights help leaders understand how well their teams are achieving objectives and mastering key processes. By identifying trends and patterns through data analysis and performance metrics, businesses can make informed decisions.

Data insights guide management in areas such as strategic planning, resource allocation and operational improvements.  They can also be utilised to target specific challenges, optimise workflows and enhance overall planning efforts.

Additionally, insights can shed light on the social and emotional dynamics within teams.  Understanding these aspects can foster a more positive workplace culture, encourage open communication and contribute to employee well-being.

Ultimately, insights form the foundation of an inclusive and effective business environment, enhancing leaders’ ability to respond to the team’s needs and improve overall performance, leading to a more enriching workplace experience.

Why are Insights Important for Business Leaders?

Business management tools often include dashboards that provide leaders with critical information metrics, employee engagement and team dynamics.  These dashboards summarise data with visualisations and reports that highlight trends over time and allow for filtering by individual team members, etc.

Microsoft Viva Insights | Insights for managers in Microsoft Teams

Improve productivity with Microsoft Viva Insights

Fostering employee wellbeing and improving productivity at Microsoft with Microsoft Viva Insights – Inside Track Blog

Microsoft Viva Insights: Employee Wellbeing and Improving Productivity

Data-Driven Insights

Viva Insights leverages data from Microsoft 365 to provide actionable insights tailored to individual employees and teams. This includes analysing work patterns, meeting habits and collaboration dynamics. By understanding these metrics, employees can identify areas for improvement in their own work habits, such as reducing meeting overload or optimising focus time.

Get started with Microsoft Viva Insights I Data-driven insights for business leaders

  • Personalised Recommendations

The platform offers personalised suggestions to help employees prioritise their wellbeing. For instance, it might recommend scheduling breaks or setting aside time for focused work. These insights are designed to help employees build healthier work habits and maintain a better work-life balance.

  • Managerial Tools

For managers, Viva Insights provides aggregated data that helps them understand team dynamics and employee engagement levels. This enables leaders to make informed decisions that foster a supportive work environment. Managers can identify trends in employee sentiment and take proactive steps to address any issues, enhancing overall team morale and productivity.

  • Feedback Mechanisms

With tools like Viva Pulse, managers can gather real-time feedback from their teams. This allows for quick adjustments based on employee needs, ensuring that well-being is prioritised and that employees feel heard. The feedback can be used to tailor initiatives that support mental health and job satisfaction.

Video: Viva Pulse

  • Privacy and Compliance

A key feature of Microsoft Insights is its commitment to privacy. Personal data is kept confidential, ensuring that employees can engage with the platform without concerns about their privacy being compromised. This builds trust and encourages more employees to utilise the insights provided.

  • Cultural Alignment

Viva Insights helps organisations align their employee experience with their overall culture and values. By integrating insights into existing HR practices, companies can create a more cohesive and supportive workplace environment that prioritises employee wellbeing alongside productivity.

By utilising Microsoft Insights, businesses can create a more engaged and productive workforce. The combination of data-driven insights, personalised recommendations and a strong focus on privacy makes it a powerful tool for fostering employee well-being in today’s work environments.

It also incorporates a feature called Reflect, which is designed to help employees become more aware of their emotions and overall well-being.

Viva Connections

Viva Connections is a customisable app designed to enhance employee engagement and streamline access to company resources. It integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Teams and SharePoint, providing a personalised experience for users across desktop and mobile devices, such as:

  • Personalised dashboards
  • Analytics and reporting
  • Integration with other Viva apps
  • Engagement insights
  • Streamlined communication
  • Enhanced decision-making

Microsoft Reflect:

Although Microsoft Reflect is often seen to just be educationally focused, with use for check-ins with students and their wellbeing, it can also be used within the business. This tool allows employees to select emojis that represent their current feelings. This simple act of reflection encourages individuals to pause and consider their emotional state, which is beneficial for mental health and well-being.

As a user, you can view your reflection history over time, allowing you to identify patterns in your moods and how they correlate with work activities or external factors. It can help you understand what influences your own well-being.

By regularly reflecting on your emotions, you can gain insights into your own mental health, helping you recognise stressors and triggers that affect your productivity and satisfaction at work. The act of reflecting can lead to better emotional regulation as you become more attuned to your feelings and become more proactive in managing them and the impact that they have on you and your productivity. Tracking emotional patterns can also facilitate personal development, enabling you to make informed decisions about working habits and lifestyle choices.

Encouraging employees to use Reflect can also benefit the employer. When employees feel supported in their well-being, they are more likely to be engaged and productive. This generally leads to a more positive workplace culture. Employers can also aggregate anonymised data from the Reflect feature to understand overall employee sentiments and wellbeing trends. This information can guide organisational policies and initiatives aimed at improving employee satisfaction. By identifying patterns in employee emotions, employers can implement targeted interventions, such as wellness programs or mental health resources, to support their teams effectively.

The Reflect feature not only empowers employees to take charge of their well-being but also provides employers with valuable insights to foster a healthier, more productive work environment – so dual benefits.

The Reflect app can also give you built-in support, e.g. move or meditation sessions.

Introducing insights in Teams to power wellbeing and productivity | Microsoft Community Hub

For more information on Insights, take a look at some of the Microsoft Learn courses available on this topic:

Introduction to Viva Insights | Microsoft Learn

Support productivity and wellbeing with actionable insights | Microsoft Learn

Organization insights in the Viva Insights app | Microsoft Learn

Support productivity and wellbeing with actionable insights | Microsoft Learn