I’ve seen the instrumental changes that technology has had in the workplace over my 20-year career in IT. Digital transformation has caused businesses to rethink how they work. And if you want to stay ahead of your competitors and seize the opportunities of today’s digital age, you need to empower your workforce to do more of what they love.

Employees are more engaged when managers understand them and give them the chance to do what they do best. And I believe the most effective way to achieve this is to give workers the tools and devices that encourage more productive ways of working, freeing up leisure time you can spend in other areas.

Here are my five tips for boosting morale and keeping your workforce motivated.

1.      Get a better work-life balance

This idea is simple. Give people flexible devices and you’ll make them more creative, fulfilled, and productive. Look for devices that enable productivity, no matter where they are, while making it easy to stay safe and secure.

If you have devices like the Surface which work for a range of working styles, you can make it simple for employees to work how, where, and when they want. We’ve also grown our Surface family to include devices which are optimised for collaboration. By doing this, you’re encouraging employees to have a healthier work-life balance. In turn, this increases employee productivity and satisfaction.

Most empowering of all, Surface devices, Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 are built with inclusive design at heart. This means we design for all needs. By having these products in your business, you’re showing that you support a diverse workforce, and research has found a direct correlation between diversity and increased innovation

2.      Collaboration made easy

With more employees working remotely, it can sometimes be difficult to feel like a ‘team’, when you’re not sharing the same office space. Thanks to devices such as the Surface Hub 2S, though, you can make collaboration easy again.

The Surface Hub 2S uses all the tools and apps found in Microsoft 365 and Windows 10 – such as Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Whiteboard –but with the added intelligence of the cloud. Make remote meetings less remote with Surface Onward, where everyone in the room and virtually can engage and ideas can flow. And with the Microsoft Whiteboard app, teams can collaborate on the same virtual canvas pre, during, and post-meeting. Plus, when paired with a mobile stand, the new lighter and slimmer Surface Hub 2S is easy to hold and handle, giving employees the freedom to collaborate anywhere, at any time.

3.      Encourage creativity

Technology such as AI and machine learning will increasingly automate routine, day-to-day tasks, meaning employees will have more time to innovate and add value. In fact, according to the Future of Jobs 2018 report from the World Economic Forum, creativity is one of the key skills increasingly needed in order to be successful.

Elsewhere, Adobe’s State of Create survey revealed that UK businesses that invest in creativity are 81 percent more productive, 80 percent more likely to have happier employees, and 84 percent more innovative. The report also found that 78 percent of UK employees thought technology is a key factor in being more productive.

4.      Improve communication

Clear and open communication lines are the lifeblood of any organisation. Not only among employees, but also between managers, the leadership team, and stakeholders, too. It’s important to not just hear, but to actively listen, and maintain a sense of team, even if you’re working miles apart.

At Microsoft, we help keep the lines of communication open via Microsoft Teams and Yammer. We host weekly Q&As with the leadership team, and everyone can openly discuss the business.

5.      Stoke passion and empower growth

An empowered workforce is creative and innovative. This gives your business a competitive advantage in the race for transformation. With the right technology, you can inspire productivity and let employees spend more time doing what they love. They’ll also be more empowered to grow.

Take the time to also encourage re- and up-skilling across your teams. By doing so, not only are you future-proofing your business, but you’re also retaining and attracting top talent, who will now be motivated to work towards your shared values.

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About the author:

Sally Elliott is a creative marketer and has worked within Global IT for 20 years. Specialising in productivity and helping organisations understand the future of the modern workplace, she is an evangelist for flexible working and unlocking the creativity within all of us. Sally leads the go-to-market strategy for the Microsoft Surface UK Business, which sees her helping businesses understand how to get the best out of their people by providing the spaces, technology, and culture to inspire them.

The post 5 change management tips to motivate any team appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

It feels good to be creative, doesn’t it? Whether that means mixing up how you work, collaborating in flexible ways, or tackling challenges on the fly. I, for one, love the feeling of experimenting with new technology and seeing where it takes me.

But this blog isn’t just about me. At Microsoft, we believe that every person has creative potential. And that businesses need to help their employees find ways to flex their creative muscles. This is the inspiration behind our devices. And it’s also a key inspiration behind our annual Future Decoded event.

2018’s event took place at ExCeL, London, on 31 October and 1 November. It provided two days of top level keynotes, breakout sessions, and networking, as well as an action-packed expo. If you joined us, you’ll have explored exciting innovations in healthcare, transport, and fashion. You’ll have watched our digital artist bring portraits to life. And you’ll have danced to the sounds of the Surface DJ. Above all, you’ll have learned how the latest Microsoft devices can boost creative outcomes and make people more productive. Let’s recap.

Modern Workplace

If you joined us, you’ll have also spotted the Modern Workplace area right in the middle of the exhibition space. The idea behind the Modern Workplace is simple: creativity isn’t the preserve of the elite few. It’s there inside everyone, in every business. And it’s not just about being artistic. It’s about having the ability to innovate faster, solve problems in a new way, and make ideas a reality. Enter the Microsoft Surface range. Read on to learn how it can help businesses unlock their creative potential and digitally transform.

Stories from the Modern Workplace stage

The agenda was absolutely packed with great speaker slots, and it would have been impossible to catch them all. I’ve pulled together some of my favourite stories from business leaders who have used Surface to achieve great things.

How Steelcase harnesses the power of space

“To come up with great ideas, you need an eco-system of spaces that help you go through the ebb and flow of the different stages of creativity.” That’s Annemieke Garskamp of Steelcase. Annemieke gave an inspiring talk about how, as professionals, we are making the shift to the workplace of the future. She talked about how creativity is not just for geniuses; it’s a process you can stimulate with the right space and technology.

She talked about the power of co-creation too. “The best co-creation areas have lots of space. Space to walk around and use technology. Space for people to interact with each other,” she explained.

As it stands, though, Annemieke says that 61% of business leaders don’t think their company’s creative enough. It seems like our collective shift has a long way to go.

How Glug enables communal creativity

We also heard from Ian Hambleton of Glug. “Something’s changing in our industry. And it’s down to new tech that’s revolutionising the way people work.”  He started off by introducing the exciting new term of notworking. Ian Hambleton dreamed up the term as a way of describing the kind of networking that happens when a bunch of creatives get together in the same space.

Like Annemieke, he talked about how the industry is changing. And he thinks it’s all down to the new technology that’s available. However, he noted that people are putting barriers in the way of their own progress. “People do perceive barriers when purchasing new technology,” he said. “And most of those are down to lack of information and education.”

How Stitch empowers freelancers and employees alike

“We’re seeing lots of companies wanting to create their own co-working spaces. They’re viewing it as a great way to bring creative inspiration to the table.” Fran Danczak took to the stage with fellow Stitch founder Nick Gubbins to talk about the key role flexible technology plays in the modern workplace.

“When people can freelance from home flexibly, companies can take advantage of diverse viewpoints and fresh pools of talent they might otherwise have missed,” Fran said. “Thanks to devices like Surface, being creative is no longer the preserve of ad agencies,” she added.

Fran and Nick also noted how tools like Skype and Teams are fundamentally changing teamwork. And how easy, online collaboration enables spontaneous interactions. Which, in turn, breeds creativity.

How Social Chain recruits the best talent

Alex Ayin of millennial-powered Social Chain shared his views on getting the right people on board for his business. “The technology a company offers can have a huge bearing on the talent they attract.” In his opinion, it all starts with offering up to date technology that lets people do their best work. But it doesn’t stop there. From regular staff recognition, to giving employees the chance to be as creative as they can possibly be, Social Chain knows exactly how to empower its team of 20 somethings.

What’s more, their culture of collaboration comes naturally, be that on client projects or in day to day team communication. It probably won’t surprise you to learn that Alex and his team aim to always be “first, fearless, and ever-changing.” Nor that the Social Chain HQ boasts a jungle room, a train carriage, and a pack of pet dogs.

Advice from our experts

The link between culture and creativity was also a hot topic for our Microsoft speakers. At the event, lots of our own people took to the stage to share insights and advice.

“Over the years, Microsoft has completely changed the way people work. But our transformation isn’t done, it’s continuing.”

Chris Roche, Surface Evangelist

Chris shared his top tips and tricks for turning Surface devices into creativity rock stars. First, he explained how setting up a Surface device for business use is really easy. Then he ran through a few features that can make users more productive. Did you know:

• The Surface Pen can be configured for both left and right-handed users. Meaning you can really optimise individual workspaces from an ergonomic perspective.
• You can save time by scribbling notes down with Windows Ink, then immediately converting them to text. You can even copy and paste them into different documents.
• With the Whiteboard app, people work together with images, links, doodles, and information. Great for ideation sessions and keeping things creative.
• When you don’t have time to make things look pretty, PowerPoint Design Ideas will be your new best friend.

If you didn’t know all of that, now you do.

“When it comes to security, there are two types of culture.”

Nick Lines, Product Marketing Manager for Office 365

Nick knows all about keeping devices and businesses as safe as possible. In fact, he’s of the opinion that there’s no point doing great work if your devices aren’t secure! So, it didn’t surprise me that he chose to share his views on the ideal security culture.

“There are two types of businesses. The first hopes everything will be alright. The second takes proactive actions to avoid things going wrong,” he said. He then went on to explain how security is layered in to all Surface devices.

He also explained how getting technology right is only half the story. Educating end users is the other half. If you want to embed security within your workplace culture, you need to make it easy for them. “Your employees want to do the right thing, but not at the cost of their productivity or creativity,” he summarised.

Learn more

Unlock creativity in your organisation

Did you miss out on Future Decoded? I’ve pulled together another blog about the event, which focuses on how better tech can benefit your business.

Of course, you might also like to take a look at the Surface shop to explore our latest range.

About the author

Sally Elliott is a creative marketer and has worked within Global IT for 20 years. Specialising in productivity and helping organisations understand the future of a modern workplace, she is an evangelist for flexible working and unlocking the creativity within all of us. Sally now leads the go to market strategy for the Microsoft Surface UK Business which sees her helping business understand how to get the most out of  their employees; by providing the spaces to inspire them, the technology to enable them and culture for them to do their best work in the way that suits them.

The post Creative people, creative culture: lessons from Future Decoded 2018 appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.

Sally Elliott is a creative marketer and has worked within Global IT for 20 years. Specialising in productivity and helping organisations understand the future of a modern workplace, she is an evangelist for flexible working and unlocking the creativity within all of us. Sally now leads the go to market strategy for the Microsoft Surface UK Business which sees her helping business understand how to get the most out of  their employees; by providing the spaces to inspire them, the technology to enable them and culture for them to do their best work in the way that suits them.

I’m sure I don’t need to tell you this, but the world of business is changing fast! Of course, this means that UK companies are having to really re-think how they work. Especially if they’re keen to innovate quickly and keep up with trends.

At Microsoft, we understand that outdated tools, processes, and workplaces stifle people’s ability to work creatively. That’s why we’ve developed a range of devices that can be used in different environments and in different ways.

It’s also why we run Future Decoded. 2018’s event took place at ExCeL, London, on 31 October and 1 November. The buzzing two-day exposition was attended by nearly 10,000 delegates looking to grow their business in the changing world. Guests were encouraged to explore a wide range of stands and get hands-on with everything from a smart suit-fitting tool to a cognitive juice bar. That’s right: there’s a machine that analyses people’s faces to recommend the perfect drink. Isn’t AI amazing?

The world of business is changing fast. At Future Decoded 2018 we looked at the Modern Workplace

The Modern Workplace

At the heart of the exhibition space sat the Modern Workplace area. Here, attendees could learn how today’s employees can truly thrive in the working environment. The idea behind the Modern Workplace is simple. When employees have access to flexible devices that let them work their way, they’ll be more creative. They’ll feel more fulfilled. And they’ll be even more productive. Enter the Microsoft Surface range.

Read on to learn how these game changing devices can help businesses unleash their creative potential.

Stories from the Modern Workplace stage

At the event, we saw a number of business leaders take to the stage to share their own experiences with technology. Here’s some of my key takeaways.

How Bitwig Studio empowers composers

“We are all creative. Even when we don’t realise we’re being creative. We just need to express that creativity in a more targeted way.” That’s Mea Liedl of Bitwig Studio. Bitwig provides a music creation platform for budding composers and DJs. In fact, the soundtrack to the whole event was created by Bitwig’s resident DJ. Mea explained how the touch functionality of Surface devices makes it easy for users to intuitively make music.

“Touch technology isn’t going to replace traditional ways of creating music. But it’s definitely going to enhance them,” she said.

How WearHealth protects workers with AI

“AI’s going to be a big, big thing in the next industrial revolution.” We also heard from Esteban Bayro-Kaiser of WearHealth, who designs intelligent wearables for industrial workers. WearTech harnesses the power of AI and the IoT to manage – and predict – health and safety issues. He introduced the idea of the Worker 4.0 – the employee who uses wearable tech as well as traditional protective equipment. Think smart shirts that can track stress levels, and watches that can send out an alert if a worker falls over. Then think using Microsoft Surface to keep track of this data, from wherever, 24/7.

How Chillblast immerses consumers with VR

“VR can get your customers more involved in the design process of what they want to buy.” Ben Miles of Chillblast also took to the stage. He talked about how virtual reality can help businesses sell products, by getting customers more engaged in the design process. In the world of automotive design, for instance, buyers can choose specification settings and see them all come together. Similarly, architects can show customers what buildings will look like, before they’re built. And it’s all thanks to the Windows Mixed Reality headset.

“When architects engage customers with VR, it’s a lot more compelling than showing people print outs or 3D walkthroughs,” he said. “Good VR boils down to creating a compelling experience that doesn’t cost the earth.”

Advice from our experts

As well as all our fab speakers, we heard from some Microsoft team members. Our representatives talked guests through some of the top tips, trends, and technologies we thought they’d benefit from hearing about.

“The evolution to LTE has been the biggest, fastest technical adoption we’ve seen on the planet so far.”

Richard Warren, Surface Hub GBB

Rich talked about how Surface fits in to the world of LTE. According to his research, the global LTE market will be worth $997 billion by 2020. This projection is, in part, due to increasing requirements from frontline workers. Whether they’re working in a warehouse, on the shop floor, or out in the field, frontline employees need reliable access to the internet. Without the security threats that come with connecting to public Wi-Fi. Rich wrapped up his session by introducing the Surface Pro LTE, and all of its security and connectivity benefits.

“Technology should empower how you work. You should be able to work wherever you want, however you want.”

Jasmin Sohi, PC Accessories Category Manager

Jasmin’s on a mission to provide the very best tools and experiences for people using Windows. She wrapped up the Modern Workplace speaker sessions by teaching people about the Microsoft accessories on offer today. For instance, did you know that each mouse product is tested for 215 miles in a lab? And that if you’re a spreadsheet junkie, the Microsoft Precision mouse could be the one for you?

She finished up by saying how technology should enable you to work how you want, whatever job you’re doing, and that all Microsoft accessories champion mobility, productivity, and creativity. Which sums up the idea of the Modern Workplace nicely, I think.

If you went along to Future Decoded, I hope you had a great time exploring how the right tech could make your workplace a better, more creative, more productive place.

If you couldn’t make it, why not read my blog about the link between creative spaces and creative people? Or simply head over to the Surface shop to explore the latest Microsoft devices.

The post Better tech, better business: lessons from Future Decoded 2018 appeared first on Microsoft Industry Blogs - United Kingdom.