Enterprise collaboration is broken
I am working both with several startups and with large cooperates in parallel in virtual environments using many tools to getting things done.
A number of tools — e.g. Microsoft Teams, Google Hangout, Slack Facebook for Work, Trello, Asana, and many others — have invaded the workplace promising to make work “easier”, an operational goal that is also a top strategic objective for organisations regardless their sizes.
Yet, the most simple actions, such as scheduling a meeting with employees and business partners including sharing some information before the meeting and keeping track of everything, are slowed down by chaotic series of email messages, file exchanges, phone calls and internal and external chat conversations using different tools.
It is a fragmented nightmare supported by tools.
The drivers for digital transformation in enterprises are mainly just “doing the same things faster”.
But “faster” does not mean “better”.
This extrapolation from the past is a logic which is short-sighted.
Do we really need speed?
Email and communication suites are great to initiate conversations and share files on the go, but they they’re missing the most crucial pillar in collaboration: coordination with others.
A changing context
It has been proved that the teams that reach out, develop relationships and are empowered will outperform those who operate in a hierarchical way.
Work needs a new structure.
Here are some directions to follow:
More horizontality — communications should “travel” faster, further and wider. Our management structure need to be changed in order to easily include and work with contingent and changing workers, partners and clients.
More consistency — communication platforms have to be used for both internal and external collaboration.
Minimize the cognitive load — conversation are linear and transient. People need to come back and scan the information quickly. Chat applications and emails might not be the right tool for that.
More action-oriented — clarify what needs to be done and give focus to everybody individually.
More social — it should be easy to forward information to others. Information has to be visible and organised. The next steps are clear, so we can all make speedier decisions.
This is what Octonius, a European startup, is trying to achieve, developing a new type of platform that can handle any type of collaboration. Conversations are immediately converted into actionable items, eliminating the need to update everyone.
We know that organisations need to operate as networks of empowered teams to grow their businesses. To see great gain and achieve competitiveness, enterprises must shift their mindset and design themselves for co-creation and action.
If you like this post, follow Octonius on LinkedIn. You can also subscribe to Octonius blog, Octonius’ publication for organisations who aspire to do be more connected, productive, and engaged.
