If work was so great we’d do it for free
The design of our offices to support productivity has greatly improved over the years (though Activity Based Working for example – let’s not talk about hanger-like open-plan offices…). But has our digital workplace evolved at the same pace?
I talked about engagement and motivation at the Intranätverk conference, and you can flip through my slidedeck or watch the actual video.
While pay and recognition are important, the number one motivator is making progress in meaningful work. This progress can be thwarted by burdensome admin and poor tools. Ideally, the digital workplace should also take an Activity Based Working approach, as I’ve suggested in my hubs, hives, and hangouts model – there needs to be distinct digital work spaces.
This isn’t about being ‘always on’, either. Mobile and flexible working should be enablers, not a conduit to extract the equivalent of an extra month’s work.
Digital transformation isn’t about creating a decent digital workplace – the digital workplace is the enabler of transformation, not the objective. Let’s assume that people want to work, and they need a variety of tools. This is why we’re talking about the digital workplace and not just the intranet. This is why we’re talking about purpose-led and meaningful work, not just productivity. This is why UX matters, and why the spork will never be a threat to the knife and fork (see slide 49 for that last point).
