AI, Productivity, and the Power of Pausing: Reflections from the Financial Times

AI Won't Fix Productivity — Your Thinking Frameworks Will

Our co-founder Todd Brown was recently cited in the Financial Times  and the question Tim Harford raised in his Undercover Economist column matters for every organisation adopting AI: What if AI just makes us work harder?

As AI tools become more accessible, many professionals find themselves generating more ideas, drafts, analyses, and conversations than ever before. While this can unlock tremendous potential, it can also increase the volume of work rather than simplify it.

The GTD® Agenda List: Avoiding Reactive Communication

One simple practice that addresses this comes from the Getting Things Done® (GTD®) methodology: the Agenda List. Instead of reacting immediately to every question or thought, the idea is to capture discussion points for the next appropriate conversation with a specific person. This small habit helps avoid reactive communication and ensures that the right discussions happen at the right time. This is something we've been teaching organisations for years and it's increasingly relevant in an AI-augmented world.

Applying the Same Principle to AI Prompting

Interestingly, the same principle applies to how we interact with AI.

Rather than prompting AI tools impulsively, capturing and refining prompt ideas before using them can create a valuable pause. That moment of reflection often leads to better questions, clearer thinking, and ultimately more useful outputs.

Pairing AI with Proven Thinking and Workflow Frameworks

At Next Action Associates, we believe the real productivity gains from AI will not come from technology alone. They emerge when powerful tools are combined with proven thinking and workflow frameworks. Methodologies like Getting Things Done® provide the structure needed to ensure AI enhances clarity, focus, and effectiveness rather than simply increasing activity.

As organisations continue to integrate AI into daily work, the ability to pair intelligent tools with disciplined practices will become a key differentiator. We expect the next wave of high-performing organisations won't be those with the most AI tools, but those who've built the habits and frameworks to use them with intention.

Learn how we help organisations integrate AI with GTD® effectiveness principles → Getting Things Done with AI

To read the full article from Tim Harford click here.