7 traits that define the digital workplace

By: Molly Anglin, Senior Consultant, Nonlinear Enterprise

Digital transformation is often cited as the necessary defensive measure against the digital disruptions that challenge executive teams today.

There is general recognition that “going digital” is important, but the true definition of digital workplace continues to be a bit murky.The more mature descriptions acknowledge that the transformation is as much cultural as it is technological.

But beyond that… what characteristics encapsulate the digital workplace?

1. Adaptive structure and culture

Hierarchical organizational structures can be efficient at managing routine, well-understood tasks but tend to be rigid when faced with complex, dynamic situations. Within the digital workplace, technology serves as the connective tissue between disparate groups — employees, customers and partners across regions and silos. Agile-inspired models of work and practices such as Working Out Loud and Working Like a Network promote a culture that rapidly disseminates information and enables participants to adapt more easily in the face of change.

2. Open leadership or incomplete leadership

Leading in an adaptive culture requires somewhat of a shift in mind-set. In order to be able to move faster, individuals within the organization must be empowered to make decisions more autonomously. A greater degree of managerial trust and flexibility is required. As such, leading in the digital workplace requires a strong guiding vision through digital channels, public encouragement of insights and ideas at all levels, and a (relatively) safe culture of critique. This regular virtual leadership presence is absolutely necessary as the definition of the employee gets blurrier (see point #5) and as employees may no longer be immersed in the physical corporate workspace (see point #3.)

3. Not bound by physical location

“Digital workplace” is, in a way, a bit of misnomer. It’s of course, not really a place at all in the physical sense. A true digital workplace allows work to take place regardless of location and device. To foster this to this type of work environment, simplifying access to the network becomes necessity. Teams must be capable of existing virtually as their ideas, plans and work products take shape in the cloud.

4. Data-driven and intelligent

The ideal digital workplace is equipped to collect and make sense of a massive array of digital signals. Customer insights, production status, employee relationships and service levels can (and probably should) be monitored and optimized. Solutions that apply machine learning and pattern recognition to identify opportunity and optimize performance are hallmarks of the evolving digital workplace.

5. Scalable workforce

The U.S. Government Accountability Office now estimates that upwards of 40% of employees fall into the category of “contingent worker.” With the last economic downturn, employers sought more flexible working arrangements capable of scaling with demand. The trend towards this elastic workforce appears to continue to grow. The digital workplace must be designed so that these increasingly temporary employees can orient themselves with the company’s vision and practices –rapidly becoming a productive contributor when needed and leaving behind a searchable history of thoughts, collaboration efforts and work products when they’re not.

6. Better integrated into the customer, partner and competitive ecosystems

In their book, The Alliance: Managing Talent in the Digital Age, Silicone Valley entrepreneurs, Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha, Chris Yeh outline that the most intrepid digital competitors find their strengths not just through hiring the best talent but encouraging a fully networked workforce. They advise that each and every employee should be considered as a “scout” for the company. “A more networked workforce generates more valuable intelligence, and when your employees share what they learn from their networks back into your company, they help solve its key business challenges.”

7. Digital is integrated into the fabric of product and service

Combinations of mobile, social, cloud, big data and e-commerce should mold the very nature of the organization’s products and services… from farm equipment to legal services to taxi cabs… digital is reshaping the products of work. In examining the most disruptive of digital business models, the advantage to both customers and company lies in the ability to reap the rewards of scale.

This post first appeared on the Nonlinear Enterprise Blog.