Are Your Business Tools a Crutch?

With Q1 already in the rear view, now seems like a good time to take a way-too-early look back at our projections for what the business world will look like in 2022 and see where we got it right.

Way back in January, we assumed a few things, among those assumptions were the ideas that: more workers worldwide would be given the choice of where to work, virtual culture would be at the forefront of business trends, and schedule flexibility would surface as the new norm.

Does any of this ring a bell? If not, refresh your memory here.

Keeping Score

So far in 2022, instances of hybrid work are up, innovative businesses are finding new ways to promote virtual culture, and flexible schedules are making headlines.

Three-for-three in that department.

Okay, so January wasn’t very long ago, and a single quarter of the calendar doesn’t provide us with enough data to do a victory lap with any sort of grace or tact.

Taking a step back then, none of this is all that surprising. 2022 is basically just a continuation of workplace and business trends that we have been watching since the pre-pandemic days back in 2019.

The difference now, is that none of this should really be news to you. You’ve read 1,000 articles, posts, and infographics about hybrid work, you’ve experienced Zoom fatigue for yourself, and you have probably added (and then dumped) more software programs to your workday over the past two years than ever before.

And therein lies the problem. While the last two years have been a lesson in workplace agility and adaptation, it has obviously been a lot.

With some degree of normalcy returning for many of us — and the already-clichéd-to-death “new normal” just being ‘regular’ normal now — it is becoming increasingly easy to fall back into old patterns or revert to something familiar and comfortable.

That brings us to today’s pro tip: don’t forget what helped get us through: technology, adaptability, innovation, and open minds.

Your Old Business Tools Are a Crutch  

Familiar is good. It’s safe. It’s comforting. And that can be important in the workplace — finding what works for you is an important part of managing mental health in the workplace.

But another important part of mental health is managing stress levels and burnout.

In the 1930s, a man named Allan F. Mogensen coined the phrase “work smarter, not harder.” Since then, it’s gained steam in internet memes, on inspirational posters, and as a tacky cliché heard around the office.

But there’s something to it. If over-work increases stress and burnout, and those things are bad, then finding ways to decrease work effort should decrease work-related stress and burnout, which is good.

Simple logic, right?

It’s not necessarily that cut-and-dry. Many of us can take a quick look around the office (or home) and spot some of those now-old-fashioned tools that we keep coming back to for whatever reason.

The most obvious culprits are the boardroom whiteboard, sticky notes, paper memos, filing cabinets stuffed with junk and/or old documents, etc. The list goes on and on.  

Despite our best efforts to “work smarter, not harder,” we still often rely on old technologies, tools, and methodologies to get work done.

This is particularly interesting because there are hundreds — if not thousands — of better options. Still using a traditional whiteboard? Why not go digital? Do you jot your ideas on sticky notes? Ditch the stickies in favor of agile planning tools. Sick of your stuffed filing cabinet taking up space? Shift to cloud-based storage.

So why is it that even with better, far more advanced options, we fall back on our old tools?

It’s complicated, but at the end of the day, even when you take familiarity and comfort out of the equation, businesses are — well — businesses first.

On top of the actual overhead of switching to new software or changing a business process, there are other considerations that may stop a business from moving forward.

Transaction costs are a real roadblock for some — it can be expensive searching for alternatives, testing, implementing, training, enforcing, etc.

For most organizations, it’s about finding a balance. Weighing the costs of any switch (actual and hidden) against potential future efficiencies (including worker mental health and burnout).

For many years now, striking this balance has been the key to managing a successful project, team, or organization.

So what has changed? 

The Future of Work

Let’s go back to the beginning of this article. The way we do business is changing.

As digital transformation continues to take hold and businesses shift to more virtual meetings, innovative digital solutions, and hybrid and distributed workforces, the old tools really start to show their age.

Take the trusty whiteboard. It has been a staple of the boardroom for a few generations. During a meeting, participants can jot down ideas, show their work, visually demonstrate processes and flows, and pretty much run an entire meeting on a piece of white plastic.

That old familiar tool has worked wonders in the past — but over the past few years, we have learned that there is a better way. Tens of thousands of companies worldwide have adopted digital solutions (like Stormboard) to help their employees work smarter, not harder.

However, as we have seen through 2022, even with some people returning to the office, a large percentage of the global population favours flexibility, hybrid workspace options, or simply fully remote work.

This shift in mindset isn’t characteristic of a fad. Rather, it seems that the “new normal” is just normal now. We don’t need to get into the benefits of remote or hybrid work, or distributed teams, you’ve already heard it, and will continue to hear it.

What does need to come to the forefront is finding a new balance.

Digital tools used to be characterized as ‘nice-to-have.’

When it comes to nice-to-have, there are a few approaches to take.

Over the past 3 years, some businesses found the right balance between old tools and new tools, some stuck to their guns hoping to wait it out and return to normal, and some forward-thinking organizations jumped on the digital transformation train.

What we now know is that hybrid and distributed teams are the future. Because of that, businesses can no longer rely on passing paper inter-office memos, storing physical files in a drawer, or leading a meeting from in front of a boardroom whiteboard.

Relying on the physical tools of the past now runs the risk alienating remote employees, adding extra effort and contributing to burnout for in-person staff, and losing top talent to the great resignation.

What To Do About It

The future of work is digital, and the tried-and-true business tools of the past simply won’t cut it anymore.

Digital transformation should be front-and-center for virtually every business in 2022.

It’s a daunting task for anybody, but fortunately, help is available. Whether you are looking for digital alternatives to whiteboards and sticky notes, trying to find a way to incorporate new technology, or looking to connect your existing tech stack together for a more efficient workforce, the experts at Stormboard can help.

We have had thousands of conversations with millions of people in hundreds of countries. We know that your business is unique and what works for one organization might not be the right fit for you.

Contact us now, and let us guide you to a workplace that is prepared for the future of work — today.

Photo by Christina Morillo

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