A generational conversation about the digital workplaces of today and tomorrow
The battle of the sexes is a thing of the past – today, generations are coming together in companies. Some have been in the workforce for decades and might still say something like: “I learned this from the bottom up”. The others are digital natives who were born after 1995 and have CVs in which the amount of qualifications does not seem to match their age. The gap between them is widening the more we digitally upgrade and shift traditional processes and conventions into the digital space. Some feel overwhelmed by the speed and tools, while others are so excited about the many bright icons in their toolbar that they can hardly decide which one to try out first. This is a cultural issue that can quickly become a showstopper if the digital workplace is seen purely as a technology issue and employees are left unaccompanied on the virtual desk.
We have invited two opponents into the virtual ring and placed the topic of the digital workplace in the middle. Let’s call them Olaf and Lisa – Olaf has been working for 20 years in a company that has been completely digital since the start of the pandemic. Lisa is a digital native and has been working in an agency for a year. They are joined by Jens, our MPC expert on the topic, who comments on the whole thing from the sidelines and points out solutions to make the digital workplace a success.
Olaf: I really want to understand it, Lisa. What’s great about digital collaboration?
Lisa: “Great” is of secondary importance to me for now. At the moment, it is more than necessary for us to address this issue and support companies in making a digital workplace a positive experience. A year of digital working in companies has shown that there is a need for action. If we had raised the issue a year ago, those responsible in companies might not have been ready to tackle it, precisely because a lot of face-to-face work was still possible. A digital workplace was an option, but not a necessity. Now, each individual is almost forced to develop a safe and good way of working in the digital space.
JensVery true: even if face-to-face is possible again, a large part of our work will continue to take place digitally. There is no way back. The keyword “positive experience” is very important. This can only happen if employees are taken on board with all the different requirements of the digital workplace.
Olaf: I’m glad for you that there’s a lot of work here. For me, it means that the problems in departments, units and entire companies are getting bigger and bigger. All the deficits in processes, structures and workflows are becoming even clearer. I only have to look at the many activities, chats and teams in our collaboration tool that demand my reaction – unread messages are already stressing me out on my cell phone – and I’m supposed to think that’s good from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.?
Lisa: Yes, I agree with you. Our current way of working acts like a burning glass. If we notice a mess in our tool, then it already existed before.
Jens: The confusion is an opportunity to reorganize our processes and our culture. Chaos in data storage, inconsistent procedures, lack of communication, too few rules and commitment. In order to communicate and work smoothly via digital tools in the future, we need to reveal and address the weak points.
Olaf: That almost sounds like a threat to me. As consultants, you must of course point out opportunities and potential. I don’t see any opportunity in the fact that we no longer have any communication boundaries. Someone discovers something online and shares it. I only know whether it’s relevant to me once I’ve read it. If it comes from the boss, I even feel obliged to respond to it.
Lisa: You get the chance to expand your knowledge horizon. But I agree with you that there are currently still too few filter functions. How can I focus on topics that I want to actively engage with? That could be keywords or topic filters. But on the other hand, I also think it’s good that this opens up topics for me that I might not have found interesting before or that I wouldn’t otherwise have become aware of. I understand that there is pressure to read everything and be up to date with everything. Even if I am not addressed directly, there is an expectation.
Jens: Rules are also needed here. How do we communicate, how and where do we ensure knowledge transfer and further training? At the same time, everyone has to learn to set boundaries for themselves and others. AI is not yet ready for tools to learn from our behavior and only filter out the relevant topics for us. Nevertheless, we already have to work with what is available today. After all, the flood of topics is now coming. Another task for internal communication is to look at your tools together with technology: what analysis options are there that are GDPR-compliant and do not allow performance monitoring? Use them to optimize your products and their relevance for employees.
Olaf: Exactly – and that’s the next topic. That’s only possible if I’m very confident and confident in my tool. But our boss doesn’t assume that this is part of our work. But I don’t want to spend my free time trying to understand my tool better or become even more proficient with it. I find it just as exhausting when colleagues uncontrollably share tips and tricks instead of becoming “lean” and more efficient. It’s a paradox.
Lisa: That’s a good point: “lean” doesn’t just apply to production steps, but also to communication. An important keyword for me is meaningfulness – not just efficiency and effectiveness. We should reflect on ourselves at regular intervals. Is our interaction with each other still right? Is the format right? Is it still up to date? Does it still appeal to the right target group? Does everyone feel included? For me, this is “lean” in this context. And I believe that this reflection works even better in the digital world because we consciously connect for formats and topics and don’t discuss them on the floor.
Jens: Look at the process and clarify whether it still makes sense and leads to the goal. The IC can and should take on this task and thus accompany the entire company on the path to the digital workplace.
Olaf: I’ll even take your word for it – but you’re serving me the next topic straight away: in my perception, 20 people sit in a heap far too often and don’t come to any conclusions. But to make everything even “better”, one tool after the next is added: Mural, Miro, whatever. And how is it going? Slowly, because the users are overwhelmed.
Lisa: There are a lot of options at the moment and we think that we have to make use of many of them. Not everything appeals to everyone, and that won’t change. What we have to bear in mind, however, is our goal and the associated question of whether the tool contributes to it. If we agree on one, it is important to get everyone on board and get them up to speed straight away. Quality definitely comes before quantity here.
Olaf: But we go for masses: we open group chats and post in them that the child is ill or that you are ill, collectively wish them a happy birthday and you can be sure that you will read “get well soon” and “happy birthday” 20 times. This puts me under pressure because I’m not used to standing on a stage and shouting Happy Birthday to 30 people. I either do it bilaterally or not at all. But I also don’t want to be perceived as the one who is always left out.
Lisa: That also has something to do with my generation. We’re used to communicating quickly via the chat function, just throwing something over the fence. There may be no form of address and upper and lower case letters are ignored because this is an informal exchange. But when we have group chats where we communicate collectively, I can understand both sides. So those who prefer to communicate bilaterally and also those who use the group – with direct reference to the topic. I think at the core, it’s important for us to communicate quickly. Through emojis and likes, through links.
Olaf: Since you’ve already mentioned the generation gap, there’s another aspect that strikes me. I’m bombarded with emojis, links and likes all day long. When I browse through them in the evening and reply, the new generation is offline, drawing a clear line between work and life. Then I can expect to receive a reply three days later.
Lisa: In my perception, work-life balance is no longer the predominant topic of my generation. Meaningfulness is more important. And we want to achieve that in our working hours. That’s why we focus on speed and a lot of output so that we can say at the end of the day: I have achieved something and given a corresponding amount. Nevertheless, I don’t think this is a generational issue, but a preference in the rhythm of work. I hope that something will happen as a result of the current times and that the distinction between work and leisure time will become even stricter.
Olaf: Does that mean that we older people have to bow to the dictates of the younger generation?
Lisa: No, nobody has to. Digital natives are simply inclined towards everything digital. Every older generation has been socialized in a different context from which the younger ones can benefit. These are different skills: For example, direct networking, engaging intensively with topics, longer texts without spelling mistakes…
Jens: Here you can clearly see how important culture is for successful collaboration. At the moment, digital skills do not grow with age. Empowerment is the magic word, with traditional training, but also tandem models in which young and older employees learn from each other. The aim is to combine the best of both areas in order to expand each other’s skills. Many processes and structures that existed before complete digitalization still have their place, of course. They should be transferred to the digital context where it makes sense to do so.
Olaf: It’s also important to me that there is a space in the company where I can express my concerns and worries without feeling like I’m being sidelined.
Lisa: I think it’s important that we move from complaining to doing. In other words, to look specifically at where adjustments are needed and then tackle them. And that we can also create protected spaces in digital interaction in which trust is also created in the digital context. This will be particularly important for new colleagues who have not yet been able to get to know anyone in their team personally.
Olaf: If you’re talking about complaining, I don’t agree with ignoring all criticism and dissatisfaction and covering it up with the cloak of digitalization. The tenor is: everything new is fantastic and if it overwhelms you, it’s not because of the tools or the strategy, but because of you and your lack of flexibility. This is something that is happening in companies right now. If you are left behind, it is not because of poor implementation, but because of you.
Lisa: I see that point too. When we all had to work digitally from now on last year, we assumed that everyone would be able to do it. We thought that everyone could open digital spaces and knew what a breakout session was. If we want digital tools to continue to be used sensibly in the future, then we need to enable people to use them and feel competent and confident with them.
JensRooms” are the third important factor in the triad of the digital workplace. On the one hand, these are virtual spaces where I can safely place my questions and problems – and be heard. In this space, I also find methods and support when it comes to communicating properly in the digital world. On the other hand, this is also the actual workspace in which I find myself. What does it need to be like so that I can make full use of the opportunities offered by the digital workplace?
Olaf: That would be desirable, not least to minimize the high susceptibility to errors. People are constantly freezing in calls as if unconscious – which has never actually happened to me in an analog meeting – are offline, can’t find the link, etc. Hardly any meetings start on time because participants have technical problems. What’s more, we’ve now reached a point where we were in the old world, namely that people are just rushing from appointment to appointment. There is hardly any substantive discussion of the topics anymore.
Lisa: I share your view, but in the end it’s up to everyone to take the time and concentrate. In meetings with several people, I find myself doing things in between, typing short answers. It’s a question of self-discipline, which many people still need to work on, and a question of appreciation.
Olaf : Due to the countless channels, you have no choice but to do many things at the same time. And then exactly what you’ve just outlined happens: You sit in meetings where half of the participants are staring at their cell phones, visibly distracted, and the other half have turned off the camera to do exactly that in secret. In the end, you end up with output that you would have generated almost as well on your own. Then nothing gets better through collaboration. Only the topics become more, the time to complete them remains the same.
Lisa: Yes, I think we need to emphasize and communicate the added value of digital meetings even more. With a camera, with sound and an exchange in which everyone participates. The added value is not yet so clear because we have the opportunity to hide. We need everyone to be more vigilant and keep an open mind.
Olaf: We need sensible rules of the game. That’s the bottom line for me. It’s not all just great and hip and easy.
Lisa: Exactly – and there are also helpful tools that can be used to regulate collaboration and structure processes, such as canvas boards.
Olaf: Another tool???
Jens: In our day-to-day work, we all realize how much (collaborative) work is still needed to work together in a digital team in a stress-free, effective and collegial manner. We have to look and learn together and avoid creating fronts at all costs. We need to be open to the needs of others. Support, respect and appreciate. The triad is: culture, spaces and technology. If all three factors are right, your digital workplace will be a real success. Contact us if you are aware of these or similar challenges in your company – and want to solve them. We will be happy to support you.