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Business is all about collaboration—brainstorming, sharing ideas, assigning tasks, finding common ground, and working together to build something greater than the sum of its parts.
Collaborating used to be as simple as stopping by someone’s desk for a chat. Not anymore. After pivoting to entirely remote work arrangements during the pandemic, many teams are now split between the office and the home. More than 80 percent of business leaders believe work-from-home policies will only become more flexible moving forward, according to Microsoft research. If business leaders are to ignite teamwork and capture the magic of collaboration moving forward, they will need sustainable solutions for facilitating hybrid work.
Below are a few Michigan-specific business statistics from the MEDC Survey of the Michigan companies on the Inc. 5000. We will continue to feature Michigan companies who are Inc. 5000 honorees. Sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum
83%
83%
75%
75%
Michigan provides a great quality of life for my family and myself.
Michigan has the supply chain infrastructure needed to support my business needs.
Michigan provides the support businesses need.
Michigan is a hub for entrepreneurship and innovation.
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who believe
Getty Images
Shuttersto
COVID Had a Profound Impact on U.S. Businesses: How Will You Adapt?
By Burton M. Goldfield
New approaches to employee satisfaction, retention, and company culture are demanded of small and midsize businesses in the wake of COVID
Collaboration is most effective when there is “participation and engagement across the whole team,” says Liz Thompson, new products marketing manager, Post-it® Brand, 3M.
“It takes a lot of trust and openness within a team to really yield the best ideas and momentum, whether it be a brainstorm or project work,” she explains.
To ensure people feel comfortable speaking freely, you need a workplace culture that celebrates diversity of ideas. In addition to validating good ideas, risk taking, and creative thinking, Thompson suggests meeting leaders ask questions that encourage meeting participants to explore alternate possibilities. Furthermore, consider the needs of all employees when setting up a meeting.
Thompson suggests having an open space for in-person teams, as well as the right digital tools so team members can focus on their ideas and share them, rather than worrying about the logistics of the collaboration. “Cameras on” is also a good policy when collaborating remotely via videoconferencing.
Some people are more comfortable sharing ideas in a group than others. Try to make space for more-introverted employees.
“There are certain folks in a team who will usually be first to speak up, so you really need to be empathetic to others, asking them their point of view and making sure they are comfortable,” Thompson explains.
More than 40 percent of remote employees say they feel overlooked in meetings, according to Microsoft research. So, make a point to solicit feedback from virtual attendees. Consider mixing in “quiet” work time with group ideation. The Post-it App for Microsoft Teams, a virtual whiteboard embedded in Teams, makes it easy to accommodate solo brainstorming time. The app’s “Zen Mode” feature allows users to silence activity on the virtual whiteboard so they can focus and get their ideas right before sharing them on the board.
Get the best out of everyone
Empathy and thoughtful meeting frameworks are imperative to hybrid collaboration. Just as important is the right technology. Thompson has seen hybrid brainstorms go awry because digital tools were too difficult to use. Employees struggling with the technology may give up and not share ideas at all. Requiring employees to jump between multiple platforms or tools can also slow down collaboration and compromise results.
Analog to digital and back again
Business leaders must build long-term solutions for hybrid collaboration because hybrid work is here to stay. Thompson predicts that new technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality will create even richer and more seamless hybrid collaborations.
“Imagine wearing a pair of stylish AR goggles, and the real world and your virtual world are intermixed,” she says.
Hybrid work will only get better, so try to see it as an opportunity, not a challenge. With thoughtfulness and simple tools, you can provide employees with flexible work arrangements and still cultivate collaboration that moves the business forward.
%
Technology as the enabler
When assessing your technology stack or choosing a new platform, consider your teams’ needs and expectations. What sort of brainstorms or meetings will they be running? 3M uses a variety of methodologies to drive innovation, including Scrum, design thinking, and lean startup. Thompson says the Post-it App for Microsoft Teams facilitates all these approaches. Much like a physical Post-it Note, the virtual board is simple to use—a blank space that can facilitate all types of idea sharing.
While digital will fuel market growth, analog is expected to remain roughly flat in the coming years either full- or part-time going forward.
No matter how sophisticated technology becomes, there will always be a place for analog tools. The act of writing ideas down on paper can increase your focus, according to research. Some employees simply prefer to work “offline,” says Thompson, describing the Post-it Note as the “OG tool for collaboration.”
Companies must make it easy to merge digital and physical work. With the Post-it App for Microsoft Teams, you can capture physical notes using the Post-it App on your smartphone to instantly add them to the shared board in you Teams meeting. You can also tag Post-it Notes and assign them to participants within Microsoft Planner to ensure teams are clear on next steps.
You want to avoid a situation where certain folks are adept at navigating the complex technology, and others aren’t. That leads to a not-level playing field.
Get the best out of everyone
A recipe for great ideas
Hybrid Work is Here to Stay
of leaders believe work-from-home policies will become increasingly flexible.
80%
73%
new products marketing manager,
Post-it Brand, 3M
Liz Thompson
"
We are committed to taking the best of 3M innovation and new technologies
and continuing to create simple and delightful experiences that help augment human ingenuity.
new products marketing manager,
Post-it Brand, 3M
Liz Thompson
"
The Post-it Apps for Microsoft Teams was designed with the needs of hybrid teams in mind. To learn more, visit Post-it.com/Teams.
of employees want flexible remote work options to stay.
43%
27%
of remote workers do not feel included in meetings.
of companies have created new hybrid meeting etiquette to engage all workers.
Methods to the Magic
Three popular frameworks for driving collaboration and innovation
Scrum: An approach to collaboration that breaks projects down into small pieces, with experimentation and feedback loops along the way. Learn More.
Lean startup: A process for developing businesses and products designed to bring better products to market, faster. Learn More.
Design Thinking: An approach to problem solving and design that encourages you to focus on the user or customers’ experiences and needs. Learn More.
The Search & Stack feature enables users to search for keywords and sort notes accordingly, to make it easy to identify themes and organize your work.
70%
Analog tools are still very much a part of the future of work.
of consumers say they will use analog in the future.
More than 70% of consumers say they will still use analog in the future % of respondends
Expected market size based on volume (based on consumer survey) , SB
Prefer to use analog as much as possible
Continue to use a mix of digital and analog tools
Increase digital use but analog is still in the mix
Use digital as much as possible, eliminate analog tools
Digital
Analog (paper + surface wiriting analog)
11
36
30
24
35
25
23-25
45-50
60
70-75
Analog
leaning
Digital
leaning
1. QATTITUDE: What statement best describes you?
2. Based on survey results, analog volume is expected to stay flat, or decline slightly, mpt accounting for potential increases based inflation or price increase.
Source: McKinsey Project Canary Survey June 2021, PWC
What’s next for hybrid work
McKinsey Project Canary Survey June 2021, PWC
1. QATTITUDE: What statement best describes you?
2. Based on survey results, analog volume is expected to stay flat, or decline slightly, mpt accounting for potential increases based inflation or price increase.
Source: McKinsey Project Canary Survey June 2021, PWC
3
3
1
1
Microsoft Work Trend Index Annual Report, 2021
1
Microsoft Work Trend Index Annual Report, 2022
2
2
2
1
2
80%
73%
of leaders believe work-from-home policies will become increasingly flexible.
of employees want flexible remote work options to stay.
Microsoft Work Trend Index Annual Report, 2021
1
1
1
A recipe for great ideas
Collaboration is most effective when there is “participation and engagement across the whole team,” says Liz Thompson, new products marketing manager, Post-it® Brand, 3M.
“It takes a lot of trust and openness within a team to really yield the best ideas and momentum, whether it be a brainstorm or project work,” she explains.
To ensure people feel comfortable speaking freely, you need a workplace culture that celebrates diversity of ideas. In addition to validating good ideas, risk taking, and creative thinking, Thompson suggests meeting leaders ask questions that encourage meeting participants to explore alternate possibilities. Furthermore, consider the needs of all employees when setting up a meeting.
Thompson suggests having an open space for in-person teams, as well as the right digital tools so team members can focus on their ideas and share them, rather than worrying about the logistics of the collaboration. “Cameras on” is also a good policy when collaborating remotely via videoconferencing.
43%
27%
of remote workers do not feel included in meetings.
of companies have created new hybrid meeting etiquette to engage all workers.
Microsoft Work Trend Index Annual Report, 2022
2
2
2
Get the best out of everyone
You want to avoid a situation where certain folks are adept at navigating the complex technology, and others aren’t. That leads to
a not-level playing field.
new products marketing manager,
Post-it Brand, 3M
Liz Thompson
"
Empathy and thoughtful meeting frameworks are imperative to hybrid collaboration. Just as important is the right technology. Thompson has seen hybrid brainstorms go awry because digital tools were too difficult to use. Employees struggling with the technology may give up and not share ideas at all. Requiring employees to jump between multiple platforms or tools can also slow down collaboration and compromise results.
Empathy and thoughtful meeting frameworks are imperative to hybrid collaboration. Just as important is the right technology. Thompson has seen hybrid brainstorms go awry because digital tools were too difficult to use. Employees struggling with the technology may give up and not share ideas at all. Requiring employees to jump between multiple platforms or tools can also slow down collaboration and compromise results.
Technology as the enabler
Analog tools are still very much a part of the future of work.
of consumers say they will use analog in the future.
70%
While digital will fuel market growth, analog is expected to remain roughly flat in the coming years either full- or part-time going forward.
More than 70% of consumers say they will still use analog in the future % of respondends
Prefer to use analog as much as possible
Analog
leaning
Digital
leaning
Continue to use a mix of digital and analog tools
Increase digital use but analog is still in the mix
Use digital as much as possible, eliminate analog tools
Digital
Analog (paper + surface wiriting analog)
Expected market size based on volume (based on consumer survey) , SB
11
36
35
25
23-25
45-50
60
70-75
30
24
1. QATTITUDE: What statement best describes you?
2. Based on survey results, analog volume is expected to stay flat, or decline slightly, mpt accounting for potential increases based inflation or price increase.
Source: McKinsey Project Canary Survey June 2021, PWC
McKinsey Project Canary Survey June 2021, PWC
3
1
2
3
Analog to digital and back again
Empathy and thoughtful meeting frameworks are imperative to hybrid collaboration. Just as important is the right technology. Thompson has seen hybrid brainstorms go awry because digital tools were too difficult to use. Employees struggling with the technology may give up and not share ideas at all. Requiring employees to jump between multiple platforms or tools can also slow down collaboration and compromise results.
Hybrid Work is Here to Stay
1
Methods to the Magic
Three popular frameworks for
driving collaboration and innovation
Scrum: An approach to collaboration that breaks projects down into small pieces, with experimentation and feedback loops along the way. Learn More.
Lean startup: A process for developing businesses and products designed to bring better products to market, faster. Learn More.
Design Thinking: An approach to problem solving and design that encourages you to focus on the user or customers’ experiences and needs. Learn More.
We are committed to taking the best of 3M innovation and new technologies
and continuing to create simple and delightful experiences that help augment human ingenuity.
new products marketing manager,
Post-it Brand, 3M
Liz Thompson
"
2
1
2
3
Some people are more comfortable sharing ideas in a group than others. Try to make space for more-introverted employees.
“There are certain folks in a team who will usually be first to speak up, so you really need to be empathetic to others, asking them their point of view and making sure they are comfortable,” Thompson explains.
More than 40 percent of remote employees say they feel overlooked in meetings, according to Microsoft research. So, make a point to solicit feedback from virtual attendees. Consider mixing in “quiet” work time with group ideation. The Post-it App for Microsoft Teams, a virtual whiteboard embedded in Teams, makes it easy to accommodate solo brainstorming time. The app’s “Zen Mode” feature allows users to silence activity on the virtual whiteboard so they can focus and get their ideas right before sharing them on the board.