How do you eat the digital workplace? One bite at a time

It's the holiday season, and you know what that means: time to decompress, spend time with the family and eat too much. It’s also a time to reflect on the year that was and look forwards to 2023.

One thing that will be on top of many people’s lists in 2023 is the digital workplace. It’s an idea that has been gaining momentum in the last few months of 2022 (outside of this weekly newsletter of course) and will continue to be on the rise as we continue to figure out hybrid working

The digital workplace has allowed us to work from anywhere, at any time and lets us stay connected with our colleagues even when we're miles apart. But without thought or design: it can also be overwhelming. It's like trying to navigate a maze while blindfolded. And don't even get me started on the notifications – it's like the digital version of Whack-a-Mole, but with less fun and more stress. Hybrid means 100 different things to 100 different people, but the only constant is the digital workplace. That’s what's important to remember in the coming year

As a company, you've taken an important first step by selecting the tools that make up your digital workplace. You’re likely at the stage where you have chosen the ingredients for a cake, but now you need to figure out how to put them all together and make something delicious (or in this case, a highly functional and efficient digital workplace)

Now that you've made these investments whether it be Slack, Google Workspace or Zoom, MS 365 etc you're probably wondering how everything fits together and what the tangible benefits of these investments are. It can be challenging to get a clear picture of the digital workplace, especially if you're making decisions blindly without visibility into how work is actually happening. It's like trying to bake that cake without a recipe – you might end up with something that's a little bit of a mess. (Yeah, we’re going to keep the cake theme running throughout the piece)

One key to success is to take a step-by-step approach, breaking down the process into manageable tasks and quick wins. This will not only make the process more manageable, but it will also help to build momentum and buy-in from your team. It's like following a recipe – even if you're not a master baker, if you take things one step at a time, you'll end up with something that tastes great (and in this case, a digital workplace that works great for your team). Here are a few steps to consider as you start your journey towards creating a great digital workplace experience.

• Identify your business needs: It's important to understand the specific needs of your business. What are your goals? How do you currently work, and what are the pain points or bottlenecks in your current process? (even if just perceived) By identifying your business needs upfront, you'll be better equipped to support your employees. It's like deciding what flavours you want in your cake – if you don't know what you want, you might end up with something that doesn't quite hit the spot.
• Collect and analyze data: Analytics are a key component of the digital workplace, as they help you to understand how your employees are using the tools and platforms at their disposal. Come and chat with me and learn about our platform at Temporall. By collecting and analyzing data, you'll be better equipped to identify areas where your employees might be struggling and to make improvements to your digital workplace experience. It's like using a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients – if you don't have accurate measurements, you might end up with a cake that's too dry or too dense.
• Create a culture of continuous improvement: The digital workplace is a constantly evolving environment, so it's important to create a culture of continuous improvement. This means regularly soliciting feedback from your employees, and being open to making changes and improvements based on their needs and preferences. You might also consider creating a champion network across your organisation that can help keep best practices. It's like constantly taste-testing your cake as you go – if you don't like the way it's turning out, you can make adjustments and try again

This is all about starting small and building momentum to launch an improvement project that targets a specific pain point or bottleneck in your current process. This could be something as simple as streamlining your onboarding process for new employees or improving the way that your team communicates and collaborates. By starting small and focusing on a specific issue, you can validate your ideas and make sure that they are having a positive impact before you scale up. This will also help you to build support and buy-in from your team, as they can see the tangible benefits of the changes that you are making. As you begin to see success with your small improvement projects, you can then look to expand and scale up your efforts, tackling bigger and more complex challenges over time.

Your digital workplace isn’t going anywhere. It’s already essential to the way you work. Imagine not having access to it ask yourself how long you would last.

2023 is shaping up to be a significant year for the digital workplace, as more and more companies are looking to adapt to the changing needs of their teams in a hybrid work environment. With the ongoing impact of the pandemic, many companies are still dealing with the challenges of remote work, and are looking for ways to improve communication, collaboration, and productivity. At the same time, there is a growing recognition that the digital workplace is here to stay and that it is an important part of the future of work.?

As such, 2023 is the perfect time to begin your journey towards creating a great digital workplace experience for your team.

I’m free to chat and help. Feel free to DM me with any questions.?

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Minneapolis, MN.