Setting an example! How you can successfully change working methods.

"A fool with a tool is still a fool", an American saying that for me in the context of a modern workplace and digitization means that the mere provision of new tools can hardly add any value to a company today. The days are gone where every invested Swiss franc or Euro in an IT Software immediately increased the productivity. Even worse: If the modern "knowledge worker" is not exemplified and taught a modern way of working, there are hardly any measurable benefits to be gained. Which manager really checks how much time an employee spends searching for information? One can handle one's own email communication efficiently or inefficiently; this is hardly noticeable in an open-space office. Since a colleague of mine taught me the simple but effective rules of inbox management, it has been empty most of the time. And since most of our employees consistently adhere to the company policy of using the right communication channel for the right information, the number of emails in my inbox is decreasing even more. It's pretty cool, but what's important is that we've changed our processes so that we can make an effective change. Otherwise, the familiar formula threatens: Old processes + new technologies = expensive old processes. 

Creating user experiences           

The key is to get all the employees, including the management, to change the way they work. So we are talking about change management. To come back to the example from above, who wouldn't want fewer emails? This is the main part of the work of my consultants and myself at MondayCoffee. There are countless "frameworks" on change management from famous people with important titles, but I don't want to go into that here. The intention of this short article is to shed light on two important aspects that in the heat of the moment, for example in a technical organized implementation, are sometimes simply forgotten. 

Firstly, my personal recipe for success: Experience + satisfaction + use = change of the working methods, which brings real business benefits. What does that mean? A great user experience encourages others in the company to simply try it out. MondayCoffee's consultants and I strive to reduce the complexity of the tool landscape for the customer with the help of simple and understandable instructions. With this simplicity a positive user experience is more likely created. And with a positive experience the users are more satisfied which makes them not only use the solution more but also makes them experiment with it, try new things and share their experiences with others. The third summand from my personal recipe is about user statistics: they provide valuable information on where and how users are working with the new possibilities the solution brings. This can result, for example, in best practice teams or even entire departments that can serve others as good examples but can also point out areas that require more attention. For these areas, improvements must be made through employee and supervisor training, power users, accompanying communication measures and much more.  

As already mentioned, superiors have an important role to play, especially middle management. They are the most important ambassadors and "role models" if they are convinced themselves.  

Communicating the added value for the individual 

Secondly, important questions of individuals that are affected by the change are often forgotten. These questions are, for example: "What is in it for me if I change? "or "Who is asking me for this change? "or "How will I be rewarded if I change? ». These are key questions that MondayCoffee Consultants focus on when working with you, because success and long-term benefits depend on good answers and above all on the actions you take in response to these questions.  

With this in mind, I hope that with the implementation of new tools the focus on the users and their questions, concerns and wishes will increase.  

Patrick Fischer is Director Consulting at MondayCoffee AG  

No Innovation without Collaboration

Innovation starts with collaboration. Collaboration in turn requires an open and transparent knowledge culture. A culture of sharing. The best ideas are lost if they are not expressed, discussed, documented and further developed. A system of sharing leads to a vital exchange of ideas and an open atmosphere with team spirit. This gives every employee the security and confidence to articulate and contribute. As a result, the organization grows from informing to communicating and mobilizes all its knowledge. Innovations can unfold.

A solution like CoffeeNet 365 offers the infrastructure to let ideas emerge from creative moments of individual knowledge carriers. Each coworker can open a new working group with only one click, invite internal and external participants and begin with a proven set of apps with the exchange and the work immediately. Predefined authorization structures are available for libraries and users. All rooms are equipped with Enterprise Social Media functions and thus allow more resonance to ideas or statements. This in turn promotes visibility and transparency across the entire company.

At the same time, such a modern working style eases working pressure by opening up new communication channels. Information and communications no longer focus on a single location: for example the e-mail inbox, which remains closed to colleagues. Silos are opened up, in order to distribute information on other types of communication channels.

Collaboration creates diversity, better workflows, fewer mistakes, and brings more fun. With fun comes the desire for more - for something new.

Andreas Exner works at MondayCoffee as an Account Executive.

Building the bridge between humans and technology

The digital transformation was on everyone's agenda at CeBIT 2017. Everyone spoke of it, but the way to get there is still unclear for many. It does not lack the very sophisticated cloud technologies, which are everywhere. It is rather about the ‚humans’ who must be placed at the center of digitization.

But this is easier said than done: In IT, the software is the hero alone, while in the management world you often meet obsolete behavioral patterns. We must build a bridge between the two worlds: yes, the software must be good. But if the ‘how’ we collaborate is not adapted to the digital world, nothing happens. A concrete example are the beloved file shares (see also our lecture on the vision of the digital open office)! The software will not make people sacrifice their folders to 'tagging' (see also our customer stories). There, leadership and management are key.

Our conclusion: digital transformation starts with the formulation of a vision - in terms of collaboration, this is the formulation of the desired collaboration culture!