The Hybrid Working Software You Need to Drive Innovation (Guest blog by Capella)
The pandemic has radically transformed the way businesses operate and manage their workflows. Now able to see beyond the traditional office environment, companies have turned their eyes towards hybrid working and leveraging the benefits of both remote and in- office work.
However, what is the impact of this new way of working on innovation? How do we ensure that geographically dispersed teams are able to foster the collaboration, trust and cohesion necessary for innovation?
Here is where hybrid working software comes into play. There are a number of different types of technology that you can deploy to make hybrid working work more smoothly for your teams and address a range of concerns. In this blog, we will explore the types of hybrid working software that you need to set the stage for innovation within your organization.
Technology to Boost Collaboration
Collaboration is an essential part of innovation. And it’s no secret that we’ve had to put more intentional effort into how to do this now that our teammates are not always a few desks away. Hybrid working software that allows teams to easily know who is working where, when, is essential for fostering collaboration.
One example of this type of technology is Capella’s Platform for Hybrid Working. On their platform employees can easily see who is sitting at which desk on what day. A picture of their colleague will appear on a 3D map of your exact office. The immersive design goes a long way in building excitement and engagement for seeing colleagues in-person and driving collaboration.
Employees can also see who is working from home; and the Outlook integration means that they can easily send a Teams message, email or call to exchange ideas in the moment. Staff can also share their schedule with colleagues that they work with often with one click, streamlining coordination.
For collaboration beyond specific colleagues or teams, Capella’s system also makes it simple to see which departments are in on which days. This fosters connection and ideas exchange across the organization, not just within specific teams.
And for leadership, Capella’s real-time data and reporting allows them to understand and easily adapt the physical offices space to drive collaboration. For instance, administrators can turn desks or floors on or off, so that instead of having a few dispersed employees sitting on an almost empty floor, they can make sure that that everyone coming into the office on a certain day is booked near each other. This creates an energy and buzz that sets the stage for both collaboration and innovation.
Technology to Foster Communication
When it comes to innovation, the ease and effectiveness of communication play a vital role. So how do you foster a culture of open communication when employees may only sporadically work face to face, so to speak, with their colleagues? Again, this is where the right hybrid working software has an impact on innovation.
Technologies, now commonplace after the pandemic like Zoom and Microsoft Teams, enable employees to video chat or message to exchange ideas, collaborate on projects, and give each other support and feedback from anywhere in the world. Now, even teams that are distributed across different locations or time zones can communicate with each other just as easily as if they were sharing a lunch table in the office.
When teams are far apart physically, it's easier for them to lose the human touch that underpins collective idea exchange and innovation. The right hybrid working software reduces the feeling of separation by bringing people together in new and innovative ways and encouraging diverse ideas and trust.
Technology to Promote Cohesion
For innovation to thrive, progress and productivity among teammates, in the same direction, must be possible. In other words, cohesion. To achieve cohesion, employees need the right tools to connect ideas, share knowledge and coordinate projects, regardless of location.
Project management software like Trello or Atlassian, makes it easy for team leaders and colleagues to see and coordinate project details and deadlines in real-time. Kanban boards give high level perspective on a project’s progress, and keep teammates working in tandem.
Other hybrid working software like Asana have built-in features where employees can access a shared library of training resources, documents, and other materials they may need to successfully progress their part of the project. This ensures that any essential information is accessible to everyone at any time, fostering the exchange of knowledge and the path to innovation.
Conclusion
The benefits of the right hybrid working software are far-reaching, especially when it comes to innovation. From breaking communication barriers and boosting collaboration to promoting cohesion, hybrid teams require smart tools to successfully drive new ideas. What tools do you need to set the stage for innovation within your organization?
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