In an increasingly connected and mobile world, digital is now the most effective and efficient way to encourage collaboration and creative exchange within your workforce.
There has been a lot of buzz online recently surrounding Gary Hamel’s rallying cry for freedom in digital collaboration and digital autonomy in the workplace.
Without freedom, there will be little initiative, creativity or passion
His ‘Digital Freedom Challenge’ calls for the freedom to connect with each other, to create new ideas and challenge conventional thinking using digital and social media platforms.
Hamel argues that trying to control internal digital collaboration undermines innovation and engagement. Affording responsible freedoms to your workforce can unleash their capabilities, and lift the lid on potential growth and creativity. It’s everything that has stifled involvement in the workplace for years, just in the digital world.
So, how can you make sure you cultivate digital involvement in your team?
Give Them More Freedom
Individual freedom creates an organisation that’s adaptable, innovative and engaging. Digital technologies have expanded the scope of that freedom, allowing us to connect with anyone, anywhere in the world. People are able to create and express themselves more than ever before.
Create an environment where your employees can challenge conventions, take risks, ask questions and create – no matter how irregular or ‘new age’ the idea is.
Allow freedom at all levels within the organisation. A top-down structure narrows the area of responsibility, and thus narrows the scope for creativity. Don’t waste talent or passion by getting hung up on hierarchical institutions.
Social media and digital technologies are a haven for this. They are a fantastic platform for the sharing of ideas between those on all rungs of the company ladder. There are really no limits to the scope of what can be shared and achieved.
If digital collaboration is to work to its full potential, you need to allow the lines to blur. Actively encourage ‘outside-the-box’ thinking.
Show your employees that it is okay to speak out and get involved in projects outside their official remits. There is no reason why projects should be confined to one area of the business. Be transparent and use digital platforms to promote transparency and cross-business interaction.
Make Sure EVERYONE’s Involved
Having the technology for digital collaboration is only half the battle. Asking employees to use digital and social media platforms for the exchange of ideas can give an unfair advantage to those who have grown up in the digital age.
Give all employees a chance by giving adequate time to training showing everyone how to use the new collaboration systems.
It doesn’t matter how good your digital collaboration system is if there are employees who feel alienated from the creative process.
Take the time to experiment and play with the capabilities of digital collaboration platforms. Get your employees having-a-go to see what works and what doesn’t.
Sometimes it’s best to start by testing the technology with a small team on a relatively small project. This will allow you to iron out any teething problems before you start using it on a larger scale.
Always Reward Success
If you’ve followed the above steps, and given your employees the freedom to exploit the full potential of digital collaboration platforms, you are already on board.
As with any change programme, it’s important to reward those who demonstrate the freedom of expression and creativity that you are trying to promote. Highlight those that are making good use of social media platforms and use their example to demonstrate the benefits.
The creative and financial possibilities of effective digital collaboration within your team are endless. All you need to do is let-go a little and give employees the freedom to explore their own potential – and the collaborative potential of the team. The true pioneering organisations today are those encouraging digital collaboration. Join them by following these simple steps.
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