During the past ten years, working life has gone through a number of different stages. Organisations have doubled their investments in technology, efficient technology solutions are commonplace, and this spring, multi-location work has become known to everyone. Research also shows that, ultimately, creating a digital cooperation culture is more important than the technology itself.
At the moment, we are on the verge of a new era in working life. We are no longer able to cope with mere superficial competence in the field of digital cooperation. Instead, we need a clear focus on creating a digital cooperation culture. When developing a culture of cooperation, the most important starting point is a change in ways of thinking and in operating culture. What is more important than a written plan is to establish digital dialogue throughout the organisation, including everyone in this continuous change. The construction of a digital cooperation culture can be approached from the following perspectives.
STRATEGIC RENEWAL IS DIGITAL COOPERATION
The strategy must be present in the everyday work of every employee. The strategy is much more than a single document prepared by management. The strategy will only be useful when it is part of every employee’s actions, so the entire organisation should be involved in the strategy process. When the operating environment changes continuously, a mutually prepared strategy contains more diverse information that helps everyone to succeed and perform well in their work.
Digitalisation enables employees, customers, and stakeholders to participate in modernising the business, regardless of their location. When digital cooperation is of great value in a mutually prepared strategy, it is more natural to connect to everything else.
DIGITALISATION ENABLES CONTINUOUS CHANGE
The change concerns a culture of continuous learning and building cooperation that is carried throughout the organisation. Instead of talking about the change as an individual event or process that is carried out across the organisation, the focus is on the skills and the ability to learn in the midst of continuous change.
Through digital cooperation culture, cooperative learning becomes a key skill and driver for living in the midst of change. The ability to learn is performance at its best in this new era.
COMMUNAL WELL-BEING AT WORK IS MANAGED USING DIGITAL DIALOGUE
Communal well-being at work means the development of an organisation’s cooperation and operating culture. Previously, well-being at work has only been monitored and developed from the perspective of an individual. Through digital cooperation culture, the entire community starts monitoring well-being at work and it becomes a common concern. When well-being is managed through dialogue, the impact of this management model is more significant than that of traditional models. This can only be achieved by building a cooperation culture.
MANAGING MULTI-LOCATION WORK IS MANAGEMENT OF THE NEW ERA
Reforming management culture is now more important than ever. The management of multi-location, network-based work that is independent of location requires very different methods than the management of face-to-face work. Cooperation and its impact are being shaped in a new digital way, which needs to be taken into account in management.
Therefore, the role of management is to enable the building of a digital cooperation culture and to create the preconditions for this. A change in management culture should always start at the level of the management team, as the innovative and insightful approach of the management team influences the entire organisation.