Adopt – Not Adapt

Just been catching up on the wave of promotional emails sent during the festive break, from Microsoft right through to small start-ups, all advertising their new enhancements to AI technologies that enable deal with everything during my full day or back-to-back meetings, full email box or endless Team chats.

It seems to me that much of the technology that has been introduced over the years has led to this situation where little or no time is spent actually thinking and doing. My mind paints a picture of being thrown a lifebelt from the ship that caused my vessel to capsize in the first place.

I’ll be interested to see when and how AI starts to deal with guiding me on behaviours to actually stop being in back-to-back meetings and having endless Team chats and emails. I guess I already know the answer. It’s a ‘cultural’ or behavioural trait that causes the problem. The technology is only trying to help lighten a heavy load.

What we need to move away from is continually adapting to the situations are own behaviours create and start adopting new mindsets on the way we work.

Ignite: It’s Not You, It’s Me – A Tech Enthusiast’s Journey

It’s mid-December and I’ve only just got around to reading through the updates from Microsoft Ignite, held in November. I’m wondering if this late research is due to myself becoming immune to the Microsoft hype, or a realisation most of the material will not feature in clients mindsets for quite some time – hence the lack of urgency.

Microsoft Ignite has evolved into a cornerstone event for tech enthusiasts and professionals worldwide. Each year, it draws tens of thousands of attendees who are eager to explore the latest innovations and advancements in technology. The event features a diverse array of presentations, from in-depth technical sessions to visionary keynotes, all designed to inspire and educate. However, despite the excitement surrounding these announcements, I often find that the immediate impact is limited. Large companies typically take years to implement new features, which undergo numerous refinements before they are fully integrated into their systems.

The Evolution of Microsoft Ignite: A Tech Enthusiast’s Perspective

Microsoft Ignite has become a beacon for technology professionals and enthusiasts alike, offering a glimpse into the future of tech innovation. Since its inception, Ignite has grown exponentially, both in scale and significance, becoming a must-attend event for anyone involved in the tech industry.

A Brief History

Microsoft Ignite was first held in 2015, merging several smaller conferences into one comprehensive event. This strategic move allowed Microsoft to create a unified platform where developers, IT professionals, and business leaders could converge to share knowledge and insights. Over the years, Ignite has expanded its reach, attracting a global audience and setting the stage for groundbreaking announcements and demonstrations.

Attendance and Presentations

Each year, Microsoft Ignite draws an impressive crowd. The event typically sees attendance numbers soaring into the tens of thousands, with participants coming from all corners of the globe. These attendees are treated to a rich tapestry of presentations, ranging from deep-dive technical sessions to high-level keynotes delivered by industry leaders. The presentations cover a wide array of topics, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and more. This diversity ensures that there is something for everyone, regardless of their specific interests or expertise.

The Reality of Implementation

While the buzz around new features and technologies unveiled at Ignite is palpable, the reality of their implementation is often more subdued. In my experience, large companies are cautious adopters. They tend to take a measured approach, thoroughly testing and refining new features before rolling them out across their organizations. This process can take years, during which the features are continually improved and adapted to meet the specific needs of the company.

A Personal Story

I remember attending Ignite a few years ago, where I was particularly excited about a new AI-driven tool that promised to revolutionize data analysis. The demonstrations were impressive, and the potential applications seemed endless. However, when I returned to my company and shared the news, the response was tempered with caution. Our IT department began a lengthy evaluation process, testing the tool in various scenarios and ensuring it met our stringent security and performance standards. It took nearly two years before we fully integrated the tool into our workflows, by which time it had undergone several updates and enhancements.

Conclusion

Microsoft Ignite continues to be a pivotal event in the tech calendar, offering a platform for innovation and learning. While the immediate impact of new features may be limited by the cautious approach of large companies, the long-term benefits are undeniable. As these features are refined and perfected, they eventually become integral parts of our technological landscape, driving progress and efficiency in ways that were once unimaginable.

It’s not about building a tool

I like the quote in this post

“Our business-led roadmap isn’t about building a tool; it’s about transforming how we manage and access knowledge and expertise, which is the foundation of our organization and competitive advantage.”

Rewiring the way McKinsey works with Lilli, our generative AI platform | Digital | McKinsey & Company

The companies that are truly avoiding the hype and getting benefits from these new ways of working look to be focusing on business value use case, good knowledge management principles and good adoption techniques.

Make the noise stop – Agentic AI!

Another buzzword is crashing into the ever-expanding AI lexicon. Just when I thought I had a handle on:

AI – basically, automating and enhancing existing processes.

Generative AI – creating content and conversations (and then some).

Now, we have Agentic AI (check out Nvidia’s blog for the scoop). It sounds like a digital assistant that’s had one too many cups of virtual espresso!

This new wave is being hailed as a game-changer in how we perceive and engage with AI in the workplace. It’s the next big breakthrough – though, to be honest, I feel like I might have missed the memo on the previous AI revolutions!

Whether this is the next big breakthrough or just another industry buzzword remains to be seen. After spending the last 12 months with clients exploring how to extract value from AI, one thing is clear: the missing ingredient is still the ‘people’ factor. The real magic happens when colleagues are coached and confident enough to craft the right prompts and trust the process (assuming there’s some human interaction, of course).

In a recent Forbes article, I stumbled upon the thrilling potential of AI creating new roles like AI coaches, AI workflow orchestrators, and AI compliance officers. Imagine the possibilities!

However, just like with other major tech adoptions, such as Microsoft 365, the real challenge lies in overcoming people-related hurdles plus poor information and data management. These obstacles can seriously stunt the growth and value of AI in many organizations. But with the right strategies, the future looks incredibly promising!

What’s in a name

Useful article reflecting the differences between a Complaint Agent or a Change Agent.

Is Your Company Filled with Complaint Agents or Change Agents?

It is sometimes confusing keeping up with all the job titles. This seems similar to a debate I was following on a KM forum discussing ‘transformational change’ v ‘transactional change’ One of the conclusions was below.

Transactional Change – Incremental change within existing systems, processes and structures but does not fundamentality alter the organisations culture of path of travel.

Transformational Change – radical shifts in the way people work with process, technology, and culture

AI and the Future of Work: What Experts Expect

Experts predict the future of work

https://hbr.org/2024/09/what-570-experts-predict-the-future-of-work-will-look-like

Catching up on some articles missed during an autumn break. This is an interesting look into the future.

HBR published a synthesis of what 570 experts think will happen with work and AI.

2026 – Job tasks are partially automated
2029 – New technologies are creating new jobs/industries
2035 – Economic inequality increases dramatically
2037 – Humans work alongside robot colleagues
2042 – Third World War breaks out. No mention of whether Belgium are involved
2046 – Automation leads to shorter work weeks. Yes you’re merely 22 years from a four-day week
2051 – Governments around the world introduce universal basic income
2053 – Breakthroughs in longevity drastically extend the lifespan of the technocratic elite. (I think this means Zuckerberg and Musk are living forever)
2065 – Computers surpass humans on everything
2074 – Human civilisation changed irreversibly by uncontrollable superintelligence beyond our comprehension

The first item that stands out for me is the 2035 prediction if economic inequality. I sense we are there already in many roles and communities.

Think of the long journey. Slack v Teams

One of my clients staff just posted the FT article regarding Slack.

https://www.ft.com/content/8a9a8d98-0039-11e8-9e12-af73e8db3c71

It was used to support the argument that Slack ‘is better’ and they should stop trailing MS Teams (which is in pilot). Slight digress – it’s interesting to read some of the responses to the FT article. It takes me back 20 years when people were saying the same about email!). Anyway – back to the point.

If we look at the experience of other organisations who were early adopters of MS Teams (or Skype Teams as it was then) it’s not uncommon for those already on Slack to find it hard to adjust. Ideally, people already on Slack would be avoided as early pilot users as there are some ‘unconscious basis’ aspects, as there are with most pioneers of new technologies. For those interested in these type of technology developments it’s interesting to see early Slack users now moving to new ‘tools’ such as ‘Riot’ and ‘Mattermost’ (not that I’m suggesting it’s fashion rather than functionality that attracts many of the early pioneers)

As a standalone ‘chat based’ collaboration tool Slack has many advantages. It’s ‘momentum-friendly and the ability to link ‘third party tools’ and its open platform approach makes it appealing but the more you try to link in with ‘enterprise functionality’ the more you see its drawback.

So, I wouldn’t think of it as a matter of Teams v Slack but more a case of how you can begin to seamlessly collaborate using many capabilities. The more O365 capabilities that Shell introduce the better the experience of Teams will be and you begin to see far more advantages of using Teams over Slack.

There is also the risk and security issues. As companies learnt during the NotPetya cyber-attack in June 2017 the advantages of having an integrated enterprise wide chat tool, complying with all security aspects, are paramount. I know of many companies having their MS Teams cleared and restored within 48 hours, while other products took weeks to be fully verified and restored (or in some cases banned completely from ever being used again).

That could be part of the reason some articles now predict MS Teams will ‘overtake’ Slack by 2019 (although I would urge caution with any such reports but you begin to see the trend).

So, while many will still prefer what they use now (a basic instinct which we all have) I feel it’s important to look at the long-term roadmap of where these type of collaboration technologies are heading.

Technology is a people business

Interesting article about digital workplace trends. Interesting for me is that 5 years ago these type of trend articles were almost entirely focused around technology. Now the shift is towards the people, cultural and behavioural aspects. That’s reflected in the disciplines within the consultancies that produce these type of reports. They are no longer published by the technology streams but from Human Capital Management and Org Design areas of the consultancies. Technology is becoming a people business.

http://www.cmswire.com/digital-workplace/10-digital-workplace-trends-shaping-the-future-of-work/?utm_source=cmswire.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=cm&utm_content=MW-170412-1000&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiTkdNNU9XSXhOR1l5TW1NeCIsInQiOiJ2S2tcL2VcL0drVVY4dlFOZzM2NVN2d3RSXC9pa1ltQkRBRXFkOUJZZURCRFBiYXVRYlkzS0YwdFNMbWpXcHptVlVKQTNiNzEwaFJpRFlGUE1udmRXT3oxdGlCREJ3ZEFnWWZFclk0cW5jMkowb0E1M2ZpRFJUTEgybjF5aGYzSWRBTyJ9

Still a future for Yammer despite Skype Teams

Microsoft are now looking to compete with Slack.

http://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-to-beef-up-skypes-team-collaboration-capabilities-to-take-on-slack/

In the article it mentions how they fail to see what the future of Yammer would be and they struggle to see where it fits in. In my eyes they have completely different capabilities.

Yammer is about networking, relationship and community building. It enables discovery, innovation, crowdsourcing and engagement that potentially involves hundreds and thousands of colleagues.

You would struggle to do that with Slack or Skype teams. The key word here is teams. Skype Teams would work well with defined, identifiable colleagues – in essence building around existing hierarchy and structures.

With Yammer you discover and network with people and groups you never knew existed before, creating new ways of working through the diversity that can be attracted through discover.

Stewardship of the Enterprise

At a session today with a company to talk about the tasks around Enterprise Community Management (ECM) – the initial stewardship required to develop a Yammer network.

The tasks can vary dependent upon your Yammer strategy (every company should ideally have a Yammer strategy closely linked to the overall business strategy (and related KM, New Business, People, L&D, Engagement strategies etc.) which will help define the priorities around the ECM tasks.

Other companies Yammer strategies have included:

Help change a ‘command / control’ company culture
Remove middle management roadblocks
Develop untapped future talent
Remove remote team’s reliance on reporting into the centre
Support development of a social learning programme

And the ECM tasks can vary greatly to help meet the strategic requirements.

Here is an outline of some of the tasks we will run through.

Help sections – maintain and update ‘Getting Started’ and Help areas on the network
Use Cases – assisting to develop use cases to show case the possibilities of Yammer
Stewardship – making sure everybody plays nice and all voices are heard
Formal Governance? – some companies need this so generally you’ll be involved in coordinating
Promotions – active in promoting Yammer through numerous channels
New Joiners – getting Yammer on various New Joiners radar
Coaching – determine how this is dealt with. Some formal ‘how to’ or focus on behavioural change and community management (my preferences are the last 2)
Events – running events around Yammer (Yamjams, 30 days of Yammer etc)
Advocates – nurturing advocates of the network
Strategic Initiatives – involved in any planning around big initiatives
VIP’s – Not everyone gets the same treatment so if someone ‘special’ joins Yammer give them the ‘silver service’ treatment
Community Management – developing good community management practices. Linked to coaching
Case Studies – Pulling together case studies to show the value it delivers. Good storytelling works wonders
ROI / Metrics – Pulling these together. Linkage to overall governance

Mark Tilbury – digital workplace specialist

Working smarter in the digital workplace

Category: Adoption