WorkScape Circle Reflections

On August 21^st. 2024 Storyals, together with Innoverto, had the great privilege of hosting leaders pioneering the digital workplace at WorkScape Circle at Artipelag in Stockholm, Sweden. The objective of WorkScape Circle is to bring together Digital Workplace Leaders for a day of networking, round-table discussions and “unplugged” sharing of experiences. Whatever was shared amongst participants is exclusive to the on-site attendees, but we wanted to take the opportunity to share what was covered by our experts throughout the day as a way to give back to Digital Workplace leaders who were unable to attend. We hope you can make it next year!

Digital Workplace Leadership

Ulrika Hedlund, CEO of Storyals started the day with sharing the vision for the event, the definition of the “Digital Workplace” and how organizations can measure digital workplace maturity. It is quite evident that most organizations have a long way to go in their digital maturity journey. According to Gartner, as of July 2024, 55,1% of the organizations taking their Digital Workplace Maturity Assessment were in the “Supporting” phase. Attendees were encouraged to share with one another how their organization measured digital workplace maturity and how their teams are structured. 

Keynote panel: The role of AI in the Digital Workplace of today and tomorrow

As a first conversation starter, four extinguished guests were invited to a panel discussion on “The role of AI in the digital workplace of today and tomorrow" from four different perspectives:

• Technology and platform - Joacim Damgard, President of Microsoft Western Europe
• Responsible use and governance - Anna Felländer, CEO of anch.AI
• Innovation and extensibility - Malin Blomberg, CEO of Zimply
• Security and data integrity - Predrag Mitrovic, Security Officer at SEB

Questions that were discussed included finding the best “business cases” for generative AI in the workplace, the need for governments and organizations to put policies in place, and the importance of categorizing use cases based on risk and reward.  It was clear that all panelists were extremely passionate about the topic and had a wealth of knowledge to share. 

Realizing the boards’ AI vision for your digital workplace

After the heated and passionate keynote panel, Henrik Byström, founder of the AI.Lab led the first set of round-table discussions on the topic, “Realizing the boards’ AI vision for your digital workplace”. He emphasized the importance of aligning any AI investments to strategic business outcomes and shared various areas where AI is already impacting digital workplaces around the world. Attendees discussed their respective AI strategies and various scenarios where they were making investments.

A brain-focused perspective on productivity in a digital workplace

After an energizing lunch, attendees gathered for a more “human-centric” session, led by Linda Jarnhamn, founder of flow²thrive. Linda opened her session by introducing the attendees to the “mouse-jiggler”.  The mouse-jiggler was unknown to all attendees, but the device, that simulates computer activity is apparently a sought-after product by some hybrid workers who want to appear as they were working!😮 

She posed a significant question: in an era of hybrid work and AI (and mouse jigglers), shouldn't we move away from viewing productivity as merely time saved or spent, and begin evaluating it through other metrics?

Linda introduced five principles to shape future productivity: shifting from a hybrid model to one emphasizing human-technology collaboration; valuing learnability over expertise; transitioning from merely producing work to having real impact as Meaning-makers, Innovators, Connectors, and Explorers (MICE); focusing on optimizing brain energy rather than time, and finally prioritizing impact and value to customers, organizations, and society over sheer output.

Attendees were asked to share how their organizations measure productivity today, and what tools and tactics they use. This was definitely an eye-opening session that got everyone thoroughly engaged!

How modern collaboration tools are transforming the digital workplace

Beatriz Oliviera, Founder and CEO of BindTuning, led the following session where we shifted from a “human-brain” focus, to a “tools- technology” focus. Beatriz shared captivating developments of tools in the digital workplace for Communication, Design & Collaboration, Project Management, Knowledge Management, and File sharing & Storage. The attendees were asked to discuss amongst their various tables, which criteria that guided their investments in digital workplace tools? A discussion that continued throughout the rest of the day was the strategy of investing in “platform” tools such as those in Microsoft 365, or “best of breed” tools like Miro and Canva, and the pros and cons of different approaches in regard to cost, information manageability and adoption. 

The mention of the AI-powered email application, SuperHuman, that can help users draft email, summarize applications in a “super human” way, ignited a discussion around future enhancements of Copilot in Outlook (and Microsoft 365) and other AI-powered tools in the workplace. 

Strategies and tactics for building a learning organization

The final expert-led session, “Strategies and tactics for building a learning organization” was conducted by Johan Skoglöf, founder of Future Learning Organization. He emphasized the importance of decentralizing learning responsibility to business functions, integrating learning technology, and fostering a culture where continuous learning is valued and encouraged. Johan brought up Microsoft as a prime example of a learning organization, highlighting its transformation under CEO Satya Nadella's leadership, which led to an impressive 800% increase in stock price. He shared practical strategies for cultivating a learning culture, from anchoring a vision to supporting behavioral change, and underscored the role of technology in facilitating learning in the workplace. Attendees were asked to discuss and share what they were doing in their respective organizations to build a learning culture and what tools they were using to support continuous learning.

To fully engage all senses and enhance the learning experience, the day included outdoor activities, digital art experiences, and ample time for socializing and networking. Overall, it was a packed day, filled with inspiration and insights for future leaders to leverage as they shape the digital workplaces of tomorrow.

WorkScape Circle 2025

Attendee feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and the planning for next year's WorkScape Circle is already underway. Next year, there will be more attendee-led sessions, with additional time dedicated to sharing lessons learned in key areas. If you are interested to participate in next year’s WorkScape Circle please register your interest.

As a final note, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all attendees for their active participation and invaluable contributions, thanks to you this day was even more magical than we could have wished for.