Tech fatigue isn't about too much technology

I was recently asked by UC Today about tech fatigue in the workplace, and my answer was simple: people are skimming instead of absorbing.

That one line captures the problem. Employees are moving from system to system so fast that critical communications get lost. They feel overwhelmed by content and simultaneously more out of the loop on what actually matters.

The consequences are real. Creativity drops. Productivity slows. Decisions have to be revisited. Momentum stalls. There's a direct line from attention fatigue to disengagement, and organizations are feeling it everywhere.

Here's the thing that's often holding companies back: ownership sprawl. Teams buy tools for very valid reasons, but without someone owning the digital employee experience end-to-end, tools just keep piling up. We add solutions instead of stepping back to ask whether they're actually improving focus, clarity, and outcomes.

To be clear, I’m not suggesting we stop embracing new technology. It's how we move forward and get through the fatigue itself. But we need to be explicit about what we're trying to solve. Is this going to reduce noise and add efficiency, or create more of both?

The organizations getting this right have stopped broadcasting everything everywhere. They've stopped putting the cafeteria of all things in front of all people. Instead, they're using intelligent communication technology like Firstup to deliver relevant information so employees receive fewer messages but get the things that matter to them.

And they measure success differently: not just by usage metrics, but by clarity, alignment, and action. Do employees understand priorities? Can they articulate what matters most right now? Are decisions moving faster with fewer follow-ups?

If you're dealing with tech fatigue, start with an honest audit. Look at your tools and channels, then ask your employees where they're frustrated, overwhelmed, or distracted. The answers are usually very clear. They'll tell you exactly where orchestration, not more technology, will make the biggest impact.