Maximising Your Time Savings
Generative AI has arrived in the workplace, and the membership sector in the UK is no exception. Whether you’re crafting a meticulously researched report, sending out a member update, or coding a new feature for your organisation’s software, AI tools are reshaping how quickly tasks get done.
But a critical question remains: are we truly capitalising on the time these tools free up?
Recent industry figures show that AI-powered writing solutions enable us to produce content around 40% faster. This applies across the board: writing blog posts, developing presentations, drafting lengthy emails, and more. From a programming perspective, generative AI coding assistants have been found to reduce development time by a substantial 56%. At Intercloud9, our software development team has seen first-hand how tools powered by AI accelerate testing processes—particularly in generating test scenarios and checking results. Thanks to AI, we spend fewer hours on repetitive tasks, allowing our teams more time to focus on truly impactful work.
Professionals in the membership sector, like many of our clients at Intercloud9, often juggle numerous responsibilities: engaging members, curating resources, and coordinating events. The surge in AI-driven efficiency means these professionals can swiftly move through their daily to-do lists. We’re also seeing AI’s impact on problem-solving, enabling staff to tackle issues that arise more effectively. By relieving the burden of mundane tasks, AI liberates time for strategic thinking, experimentation, and creative work—the activities that truly drive value for members.
Interestingly, while these new AI tools are saving significant chunks of time, some of it isn’t always used productively. According to research by the University of Lausanne in 2024, managers globally reported saving an average of 2 hours 46 minutes per week through AI, with 82% agreeing that it helped them work faster. However, the same research revealed that 38% of people squandered more than half of the time saved, and 84% admitted to wasting at least a quarter of it. Clearly, not everyone is reinvesting their AI “time dividend” wisely.
Why is this happening? Many of us experience relief once a task is completed more quickly than expected. That extra half-hour may feel like a well-earned break. Of course, short breaks and breathing room in our schedules are necessary for wellbeing. Yet, if a large fraction of our AI-generated spare time is lost to aimless browsing, passive distraction, or unplanned activities, the opportunity for professional and personal growth diminishes.
So, how can we use our newly freed-up hours more purposefully? Here are some suggestions:
- Set explicit goals: Decide in advance which tasks or projects you will tackle with your extra time. This could include brainstorming sessions, strategising member engagement initiatives, or conducting the type of research you never had time for before.
- Focus on personal development: The membership sector places a premium on effective communication and leadership. Use the time saved to sharpen your skills, explore relevant courses, or read up on emerging industry best practices.
- Invest in building relationships: Whether networking with peers or connecting with members, those additional moments can be reinvested in meaningful conversations, fostering stronger professional ties.
- Enhance team and organisational wellbeing: Consider using part of the time saved to encourage activities that promote mental and physical health. This might mean adding mini-breaks for team walks, collaborative lunches, or structured “innovation time” for blue-sky thinking.
Finally, it’s worth reflecting on how you track your own AI-driven time savings. Are you acknowledging precisely how many minutes or hours each tool is returning to your schedule? Logging this information can help you identify patterns: which tasks are best suited for AI assistance, and when you might reclaim the greatest amount of time. Moreover, consciously recording these gains prompts you to plan for the saved time, rather than letting it slip away into unproductive pursuits.
Generative AI has proven its worth in expediting tasks and boosting efficiency. Yet, the benefits extend well beyond the ability to check off tasks at record speed. By explicitly tracking your AI-derived time savings and intentionally planning how to spend them, you can seize opportunities for problem-solving, skill-building, and genuine connection—actions that help drive value in the membership sector.
It’s time to ask yourself: How will you invest your AI dividend?
