Throughout the ages, business leaders have searched for the right formula to get the best work out of their employees, trying every which way to inspire teamwork. And it has certainly been a process.
Here’s a little history lesson: The first modern offices were built in the early 1900s, and most of them were designed with an open floor plan, which allowed business owners to pack in as many workers as they possibly could. One can only imagine how loud and distracting that must have been.
Well, employers took note and around the mid-1950s, cubicles were introduced to help workers actually focus and get their work done. This had the unfortunate side effect of isolation and loss of morale (if you haven’t lived through that, watch the movie Office Space).
After the explosion of Silicon Valley, circa 2011, business leaders began to see the real value in collaboration, so open workspaces became the “in” thing to have because of the way they allowed individuals to work from a variety of stations, while easily accessible to their teammates.
Now we are welcoming a new age of collaboration and let’s just say that it doesn’t have to do with creating a fancier physical location.
Between the rapid expansion of global businesses and the rise of the telecommuting worker, many teams are spread out over numerous locations and time zones, challenging leaders to find more innovative ways to stay collaborative between offices. New technologies are constantly being innovated to accommodate the dispersed workforce and teams are using them in wonderfully creative ways.