30% More Meetings and Too Many Emails, Survey Highlights How Work Has Changed 

Pragmatic Institute—a trusted enterprise education partner in data science, design, product marketing and product management — has released results from its 20th annual product management and marketing survey. This year’s findings provided valuable insight into how the global pandemic has changed work for product leaders, managers and marketers across a wide range of industries. The full study can be downloaded here.

“The structure and atmosphere of the workplace are constantly changing and adapting to the larger trends, needs and demands of the workforce, and 2020 brought so many new challenges for professionals everywhere to grapple with,” said Ian Templin, Director of Product Management at Pragmatic Institute. “This year, Pragmatic Institute’s annual survey was more important than ever to provide insights into the shifting needs of companies and their employees, and identify larger trends in the fields of product marketing and management.”

The survey population was composed of over 1100 respondents who hailed from six continents and 43 U.S. states. Key findings from the survey include:

• There was a 30 percent increase in time spent in weekly meetings when compared to the last survey period.
• Managers are spending 27 hours a week on emails, the most time spent on any specific activity.
• Fifty five percent of respondents experienced a change in their target market’s demand, with 41 percent expecting that change to last.
• Product team members believe they should spend 53 percent of their time on strategic activities according to the survey. However, only eight percent of respondents were able to focus at this level. Over half report a gap of 25+ percentage points from their strategic goal.
• For the first time, the majority of respondents (57 percent) stated that the product was its own department, reporting to itself or directly to the CEO.

The pandemic also significantly impacted product marketing strategies for businesses across the country, as formally-important tools like trade shows and coordinated events were stalled, target market demands shifted and budgets shrank, calling for more regional approaches, varying product launch schedules, built-up brand awareness and a stronger virtual and online presence.

In addition to a wide range of rich training programs, Pragmatic Institute provides a full ecosystem of tools, resources and access to an alumni community where professionals can connect with peers around the world. Pragmatic Institute has successfully trained more than 200,000 individuals at 8,000 companies across six continents.

Pragmatic Institute is a trusted learning partner to professionals across data, product, and design—providing training, support and resources. With a focus on dynamic instruction, continued learning, and what works for today’s businesses, Pragmatic Institute delivers engaging and impactful education to thousands of companies worldwide.