The architecture of collaboration has not changed so quickly since technological advances in lighting and ventilation made tall office buildings feasible, and one could argue that it has never before been so efficient. Virtual-meeting software such as Zoom, GoToMeeting, and Webex is displacing in-person meetings, making people ever-present. Enterprise social media such as Slack and Microsoft Teams are displacing watercooler conversations, making people more connected. Messaging is displacing phone calls, making people more accessible. Open, flexible, activity-based spaces are displacing cubicles, making people more visible. It’s never been easier for workers to collaborate-or so it seems. They can then conduct rigorous experiments to learn how to achieve the types of exchanges they want. The SolutionĬompanies can use new technologies, such as sensors that track people’s movements and software that collects their digital “breadcrumbs,” to understand how members of particular groups are actually interacting. Many companies don’t understand how to achieve the kinds of collaboration they want. They become adept at shutting people out and reading signs that their coworkers wish to be left alone. Individuals decide when and how to engage with others. But often it isn’t effective: People don’t necessarily interact more, or they interact in unproductive ways. Organizations are turning to open offices and an array of technologies to encourage collaboration. This approach will help them equip employees with the spaces and technologies that best support their needs. They can then experiment to learn how to achieve the types of exchanges they want: trying various office configurations, testing a pilot floor plan before overhauling the entire space, and exploring the impact of small tweaks. Companies can use new technologies, such as sensors that track people’s movements and software that collects their digital “bread crumbs,” to learn how members of particular groups are actually interacting. The authors provide guidance on reaching such an understanding. This happens because individuals, not companies, decide when and how to engage with others. But as the physical and technological structures for omnichannel collaboration have spread, evidence suggests they are producing less interaction-or less meaningful interaction-not more. Open offices, messaging, and virtual-meeting software in theory make people more visible and available.
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