The
Future Of Collaboration

In this episode of The Future Of, Sean McDowell, Senior Vice President of Design and Innovation at MillerKnoll; Jim Kalbach, Chief Evangelist at Mural; and Rich Knepprath, Creative Director at Fresh Consulting, join host Jeff Dance to discuss the future of collaboration. They dive into best practices for effective hybrid workplace collaboration, tools for innovating collaboration today, as well as the evolution of work.

Best Practices for Effective Hybrid Workplace Collaboration

For a thriving digital hybrid workplace collaboration, it’s crucial to understand and employ the best tools available, such as Mural, which must emulate and support essential behaviors needed for clear communication. While we currently have the advantage of reading facial expressions, such as the subtle lift of eyebrows or the curve of a mouth, which provide deeper insights into intent and meaning, replicating this remote presence is challenging. Moreover, presence remains at the core of meaningful collaboration, especially when teams are dispersed.

The Future of Collaborative Workspaces

The influence of physical spaces on collaboration is something we’ve all felt. Some forms encourage cooperation, and others restrict it. Our work locations have evolved over thousands of years, moving from agricultural fields to bustling business centers. We once shared stories around fires; now, we navigate a new digital work landscape. But the effectiveness of these physical spaces for collaboration remains inconsistent.

The mix of physical and digital is critical. Imagine a scenario where you video-call into a meeting, and the participant’s face is obscured. You miss essential facial cues. Contrarily, when you’re at home, calling into a room full of people, their faces might appear miniature on your screen. It becomes challenging to discern emotions, leading to remote participants often feeling sidelined.

Embracing Asynchronous Collaboration

Establishing a shared vision and cultivating trust within a team paves the way for productive and true collaboration, which resembles a continuous loop of sharing and building upon each other’s ideas, pushing projects forward. However, achieving this synergy is no easy feat.

A crucial aspect to remember is that collaboration’s pace is under your control. Historically, our perception of collaboration was shaped by our experiences in physical office spaces. Today, it’s about striking the right balance. A pivotal strategy to harness this balance is to embrace asynchronous collaboration to empower individuals to work according to their unique cognitive styles and preferred timings.

Innovating Collaboration Today

Bridging the gap between the physical and digital doesn’t necessarily require waiting for the next big tool or breakthrough. It poses a classic dilemma: Do we wait for the perfect tools to become available before we innovate and adopt new behaviors, or do we leverage what’s available now?

By adopting a proactive and intentional approach to collaboration, you can do far more with our existing toolkit than you might realize. The key is to determine your needs and find innovative ways to use current resources to address them. There are creative ways to harness existing technology, like AI, spatial audio, and VR, enabling us to achieve the collaboration outcomes we’re aiming for.

Evolution of Work

In the evolving landscape of work, terms like hybrid, async, and tools are gradually blending into one overarching concept: work. This is becoming our new standard, where we use common sense to navigate our tasks and collaborate with one another. The previously clear lines distinguishing remote from hybrid work will blur. 

But central to this evolution is the human element and the importance of trust. As we move forward, we can anticipate an inflow of innovative minds addressing the challenges of establishing and maintaining trust in this new working environment.

The tech landscape is also shifting. We’re transitioning from being solely tied to our flat screens and desktops to exploring holographic technology, virtual reality, and augmented reality. These advancements predict a future where our digital and physical realities might intertwine more closely than ever before.