Buckle Up, Hold on, It’s Going to Get Bumpy

Technology has reached what we only imagined could be possible and is changing at an exponential speed.

How are we going to keep up with technology?

While participating in the Microsoft Ignite Conference this week, I learned about new technology that most literally blew my mind! I knew this technology was coming. I knew the future of work would eventually become the present. But I had no idea how close this was to reality. These tremendous and exponential changes to technology are coming at a time when the world has already shifted underneath our feet. The past year has transformed how we live — not just how we work. We all want to have the best life experience we can. This new technology can either enhance this experience or overwhelm our lives.

The two latest technology introductions Microsoft released are Microsoft Mesh and Micorsoft Viva. I recognize these are only just two examples of technology that is being released and updated at a rate multiple times what it has in the past but wanted to unpack a bit how a few specific examples are changing our world and lives. These examples could be expanded to include the tremendous and extensive technology that is most literally transforming our world at work and at home.

Microsoft Viva & Microsoft Mesh

Microsoft Viva is a set of tools to enhance the employee experience of the future and includes Connect, Topics, Learning, and Insights. This new technology has the potential to transform how we work and interact. It is based upon the Microsoft Teams platform and integrates these elements of the employee experience into the daily work of employees. As a Talent Management/HR leader, this is the true jackpot of new releases. These tools could transform how we connect, learn, grow, and execute our work.

• Insights — will provide suggestions and the ability to manage your productivity and wellbeing.
• Learning — will bring training and development into the Teams platform.
• Topics — will enhance our ability to search for answers and information and better manage knowledge across the organization.
• Connect — will bring all the information and resources employees need into one common location for easy access and information about what is happening in the organization.

All the Viva enhancements are incredibly valuable to the new hybrid workplace and will allow us to share information, collaborate, and learn no matter where we are working. As in most businesses we are actively considering our next steps with an in-office, remote, or hybrid workplace. I personally believe hybrid work, at a minimum, is the future of work. As businesses, we must look at these technologies and figure out how they will help us to do more meaningful and valuable work. As individuals, we must learn from our work practices and personal habits and consider how we best manage our lives to improve productivity and well-being or achieve, I like to use the term, Work-Life Harmony.

Microsoft Mesh (my mind was blown when I saw this) is the future of interactive experiences occurring virtually but with virtual reality. In other words, you can virtually transport yourself to the same space of those you are working with to see them, make eye contact, move around, and work or be together all from your own location. For example, the technology is going to allow surgeons in the US to support surgeons in Uganda! Can you imagine the various use cases and value this could bring to so many different types of applications? I knew one day this technology would be possible (we have seen it in movies for years) but I didn’t realize it would be happening now! Considering the use cases, the training, the infrastructure, and the need to adapt how we see the world in response to technology like this is a significant endeavor. However, if we can democratize its use and leverage the opportunity, we might truly improve this world and the lives of people in ways we never imagined.

Combining Technology & People Successfully

As a leader of technology, I am obviously biased to see all the possibility and think new technology is pretty cool. However, it’s more than just cool — it is going to be essential. How this technology and the people who will need to use it in order to get the best benefit come together successfully is going to be critical in the future. I’ve observed my teams of employees struggling (although ultimately successful) to change at the rate changes are being made. I don’t think we are going to be able to slow down the rate at which technology is changing and we are going to need to adapt in order to stay competitive as well as maintain a positive life experience.

Next week I am speaking at the Voice of Women’s Summit for International Women’s Day on March 8 thand plan to discuss what we need to do to navigate these challenges. We must all be leaders of ourselves and those we serve (in workplaces, homes, schools, & communities), lead with courageous leadership acknowledging the challenges we experience and continually coaching on critical skills for future performance. If we can do this well, if we can develop the necessary skillsets and capabilities to combine our human capacity with the latest in technology, we can and will achieve extraordinary performance. In doing so, we will create exceptional workplaces, schools, communities, and most importantly life experiences. Ultimately, if we can change and improve ourselves at the rate we change and improve technology we might truly have a life experience we value, find rewarding, and enjoy.

Note: The Voices of Women Summit is Free and if you can’t attend you will get access to the recording but you must register! See below for more details on my session. If you would like to attend my session at the Summit please use this link to register: https://voices-of-women-summit.heysummit.com/?sc=0Oz1yaVa&ac=TUYn7E7O

Exceptional Workplace and Life Experience, Extraordinary Performance, Vulnerability and Courageous Leadership

As Leaders we must be courageous and willing to be vulnerable with the people we lead, by sharing our own personal experiences and challenges in both the workplace and our lives outside the workplace. This courageous leadership and vulnerability allow leaders to meaningfully connect with and provide better coaching for employees. Continually coaching employees cultivates a mindset of growth, high accountability, strengths-based development, and extraordinary performance. Employees who experience continuous strengths-based coaching and apply the principles to their careers and personal lives are more likely to achieve extraordinary performance. Extraordinary performance creates exceptional life experiences, workplaces, and ultimately stronger business results.

Due to the exponential changes in technology, the challenges in the world (particularly women in the workplace), and the rate at which we are experiencing change, navigating these challenges while fulfilling our desire to have a positive life experience is difficult.

Join this session to learn more about: vulnerability and courageous leadership and why we all must be leaders in the future; how continuous coaching based upon strengths helps to achieve extraordinary performance; and why if we believe in our ability to achieve extraordinary performance we can create exceptional life experiences, workplaces, schools, and communities.

Originally published at http://jessicatietjen.com on March 4, 2021.