Modern management is key to the workplace of the future

By Justine Louw, General Manager: Microsoft

The workplace is in the throes of a transition, where digital collaboration, technology and tools are viewed as the way of the future.  Employees, users, and customers are more connected and mobile than ever, so navigating this workplace transformation successfully is key to remaining ahead of the curve.

Forward-thinking entities are creating modern workplaces where staff members can employ innovative apps and devices to engage customers and collaborate with customers and each other, and where the business can operate, boost security, and transform products and solutions to meet the expectations of the digital age.

Covered In This Article

Collaboration is key
Three essential pivots
Igniting change

Collaboration is key

But it’s not that simple without the right tools. Today’s workforces expect access to productivity and collaboration tools and apps at any time and from anywhere - users need to work across boundaries and territories with customers, suppliers, as well as colleagues, and to connect with external stakeholders, without switching tenants.

This has seen environments that were once on-premise become more complex, particularly as organisations extend these environments to the cloud. The tools and processes of yesterday are battling to keep up with the businesses shifting needs and priorities. In a nutshell, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work forever, we will never go back to the way things were in 2019, and a workforce in 2022 cannot be inspired by 2019 leadership.

Three essential pivots

With this in mind, there are three pressing changes that business leaders need to make today, to future-proof themselves for tomorrow. Firstly, they need to stop worrying about the productivity of their remote workforces. Studies reveal that the vast majority of staff members feel more productive since having gone hybrid, and they need the freedom and flexibility of being able to work from where they need to, when they need to, and must have the tools that enable them to do this. Technology is key to powering and trusting the modern workforce.

Secondly, companies need to realise that the office is playing a different role today than it did yesterday. Today’s office has become about keeping personal contact with colleagues and escaping the isolation people occasionally feel at home. No one wants to endure the lengthy commute and rising petrol prices on a regular basis, but most employees still like to know there is a physical space for them to go to when needed.

Thirdly, businesses need to understand that recruiting talent isn’t enough, they need to retain the talent they’ve got, and ensure that their workforce is kept happy and motivated. Again, this means they need the right technologies and a culture built around fostering talent, encouraging innovation, and giving staff an opportunity to learn, spread their wings, and thrive on the job.

Igniting change

The good news is that there are tools to enable organisations to make these three vital changes. At Microsoft Ignite 2022, leading vendors recently unveiled several new Surface devices, featuring the latest and most secure suite of productivity apps and services, combined with an effective and simple solution for managing devices and keeping them up to date.  Built for a modern desktop, Surface amplifies the benefits of moving to a modern desktop and is helping businesses around the globe achieve their modern workplace goals. Best of all, devices can be set up through zero-touch deployment, enabling users to set up devices remotely without ever having to open them - they can be set up in the cloud and then the full windows experience can be streamed to any device.

Most compelling though, is the modern management feature that Surface offers, which moves away from the traditional management approach that assumes every device being managed is owned by the business and is connected to the on-premises network. Modern management enables users to be proactive instead of reactive, so they can act on strategic initiatives that add value to the company. Designed with the modern workplace in mind, Microsoft Surface helps organisations prepare for tomorrow, by giving them the tools to stay competitive, manage change, and leverage the latest technologies.