Collaboration plays a huge role in business. Collaboration brings with it benefits such as teamwork, creative ideas, comradery and profits. It is essentially part of the workflow for organizations. This includes collaborating on projects through file sharing and tracking the progress of the work. Plus with a mobile work environment, collaboration can happen from anywhere at any time.
Let’s walk through how collaboration has evolved and redefined the digital workplace.
Collaboration in the Workplace
Collaboration has changed tremendously over the years in the workplace. Floors plans which used you have closed cubicles have now transitioned into an open space concept. Individual hierarchy and corporate’s strict adherence to titles are changing as well. Service technicians at Apple retail stores are known as “geniuses”; receptionists at Houghton Mifflin are “directors of first impressions.” Ideas are exchanged between top management and entry level employees through conversation more frequently. Such changes are ultimately resulting in increased employee engagement and stronger work relations amongst employees. Social collaboration also empowers a workplace process that allows employees to openly communicate, interact, and share ideas and information to achieve a common goal. When top management transparently shares relevant business data with their entry level staff, workers start to focus more towards the bigger picture as opposed to the miniscule tasks at hand. Their desire to work changes and results in increased efficiency in workflows.
Technology + Collaboration
As we become more connected to technology, the definition of social collaboration in the work place will continue to evolve and shape the way we work together. Technology has transformed the way we connect with one another in both personal and professional environments. Exchanging and attaining information is both faster and more mobile with the flexibility of internet access. This allows increased efficiency in the way groups carry out their tasks for projects. Online meetings, virtual meetings, working from remote locations, 24/7 client support, and instant file sharing are just some of the many outcomes that have emerged since the rapid spread of technology and social collaboration in workplaces.
The Future of Collaboration Tools
It is easy to digitize a workplace on its own by introducing new tools and technology, the hard part is to change employee mind-sets. Human behaviours do not change over-night; however, it is important to keep in mind that people do adapt with time. Humans adapting to new changes in the work place shouldn’t stop the company from bringing in new ways of working together. The time it takes to transition and adapt won’t negatively affect your company as much as not taking the risk of adapting to the new social changes crawling into corporate environments. It is therefore important that companies instill a work environment where employees are encouraged to work hard but also smart. Introducing social collaboration platforms as workplaces digitize and evolve can create more productive and efficient work environments.
Over the years, the importance of sharing ideas to improve has grown quickly with rapid innovation. Companies that haven’t already made the switch to a more digitized environment should take some time to invest in these changes. It is important to understand that people thrive in an environment that allows them to freely share their ideas and opinions. Adopting to new technology early on will give your company a competitive advantage. To learn more about how you can get started with a collaboration portal, contact us at Readyportal to learn more about our Collaboration Portal solution.
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