How can you communicate more effectively internally? How can you make work more fluid between your different services and entities? The answer lies in two words: collaborative work.
Numerous collaborative tools and platforms have appeared with the promise to revolutionize your corporate communication. There is no doubt that collaborative work has the wind in its sails, but the question remains as to why! How is it that this wave of change is sweeping across the world of work, taking everything in its path?
Read also: Collaborative tools: a new way of working
Increasing collaboration: a crucial stake for companies
A study conducted by Forbes magazine in 2018 provides us with the first piece to the answer. Indeed, according to the study:
- 39% of employees felt that there was a lack of collaboration within their company.
- 86% of managers said that lack of collaboration and communication were major problems in their company.
This is especially true when it comes to collaboration between different departments within the same company. That’s an alarming finding, considering that collaboration and smooth communication between departments are crucial for a company to be successful.
It is therefore in this favorable environment that the movement towards an increasingly collaborative work environment is developing. In response to this pressing need, many new tools are being developed.
This movement is all the more important as more collaborative work offers companies many undeniable advantages, particularly in terms of information flow and productivity gains (the sinews of war!).
Collaborative work: in line with its environment
Almost all of us have a Facebook account. The 35-55-year-olds have almost all been on an alumni social network at least once. The youngest ones are on Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok, and play video games together while chatting on Discord. Most of us certainly use WhatsApp, whether with family or friends.
The professional sphere is not forgotten: Viadeo has had its moment of glory, and LinkedIn has never had so many users around the world.
The reality is indisputable – we all want to be more connected to one another and to more collaboration, but also to more immediacy and convenience. In addition, the new, hyper-connected generations entering the workforce are looking for companies where collaboration and communication are central, seeking freedom and flexibility.
The expansion of collaborative work thus fits right in with this favorable environment. Ultimately, collaborative work represents one side of the world’s digitalization.
Read also: [Coronavirus] 18 must-have solutions for switching to remote working
The boom of collaborative platforms
The explosion of collaborative platforms and corporate social networks is a particularly powerful illustration of this groundswell of collaborative work. Platforms such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Talkspirit are emerging as true spearheads of this ongoing revolution.
Our mailboxes are, time and again, saturated with emails. Finding a specific message or attachment within this pile of e-mails can be a real headache. Incredibly, however, collaborative platforms are eating up emails, making life easier for millions of employees and freelancers.
The rise of these platforms marks the end of playtime. Digital technologies had revolutionized the way we work, and digital collaboration is now taking us a step further:
- The disappearance of the countless spam messages we receive;
- Exchanges that are both asynchronous and available in real time;
- More intuitive interfaces, with many new features;
- The advantages of the most popular collaborative tools available in one place.
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Collaborative applications and platforms – such as social networks – have revolutionized our personal lives. They are now doing the same at the corporate level. Collaborative work is a tidal wave that profoundly changes the way we work towards greater responsiveness, flexibility, and productivity.
Discover our Top 13 best collaborative platforms
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Author: Paul Maubareyt
