Terms

E-Lance Economy

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Modularization of the Work System

The Microsoft Netherlands joint research piece with Erasmus University also cited the seminal work of Thomas W. Malone Robert J. Laubacher’s coining the term E-Lance Economy over 10 years ago in their Harvard Business Review article, ‘The Dawn of the E-Lance Economy.’

“The fundamental unit of the e-lance economy is not the corporation but the individual. Tasks are not assigned and controlled by a stable chain of management but rather are carried out by autonomous or independent contractors. E-lancers connect into fluid and temporary networks to produce and sell goods and services. When the job is done, the networks dissolve again, whereas the e-lancers start seeking for new assignments. Of course, this view still applies to a small portion of the economy yet it is clear that larger parts are moving in this direction.”

One of the aspects to the new world of work that first drew me into the subject was the parallels between the ‘modularization of the work system’ and the modularisation of computer systems. In particular, the parallels with the trend of Services Oriented Architecture (SOA). The slide below is taken from one of my standard decks on SOA. Change a few words and labels and the concepts mirror the Malone/Laubacher chart very closely.

SOA Trend

Tired Dragons

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Edwin Lynn Tired Dragons

In honour of Father’s Day, I thought I would pay homage to an inspiration of my father, Rev. Edwin Lynn, to my interest in Dynamic Working. Dynamic use of spaces where people come together must be in my genes. You see, 36 years ago, decades before carbon concerns, economic crises and intensified pressures of two income families, my father, wrote a book called ‘Tired Dragons’, subtitled ‘Adapting Church Architecture to Changing Needs.’

His introduction could just as readily describe the increasingly outdated fixed and fractured workspaces in outdate office buildings where so many labour every day…

“Once upon a time there were church structures built with dignity, sustained by belief, and strengthened with community purpose. Many of these structures are today’s tired dragons, their energies spent, their fire nearly extinguished, their tails drooping.”

His words on the simple seating in the church could have been taken out of a business justification for removing all the fixed desks in our office (something my team and a number of units at Microsoft has instituted).

“In the context of order, pews have taken on a theological importance. Their symmetry symbolizes the desired order–not the extreme social order of the pew renters and purchasers of colonial times but the order of religious tradition. However, to sit securely in the pews, smugly oblivious with present changes is inconsistent with a revitalized, meaningful religious belief. Architects have created fancy building shapes and spectacular roof structures, clergymen have inspired changing worship forms. Nevertheless, congregations have refused to change their attitudes, and their immobile seats confirm their rigidity. The obstacles are difficult to overcome. Until the rigid pew structure is changed, the church will not substantially alter its present course. The pews are where the people are, and unless they are willing to alter their patterns, there is little hope for the tired dragons. This does not mean that by destroying all pews we would have a revitalized church; it only means as long as pews are worshiped, there is little hope for a relevant church.”

In the world of Dynamic Work, as long as desks and cubicles remained fixed in place, there is little hope for a ‘relevant’ business.

Gensler’s Modes of Work

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Gensler Work Modes

One of the observations Edelman’s Robert Phillips notes is the segmentation into different workstyles. He speaks of the ‘podists’ and the ‘benchists’ describing sub-groups that have formed based on personal preferences for where and how they work.

The design firm Gensler who engineered the Edelman London offices, has also published its own segmentation of work modes…

· Focus – 59%, thinking, reflecting, analysing, writing, problem-solving, quantitative analysis, creating, imagining, reviewing, assessing.

· Socialise – 6%, talking, laughing, networking, trust-building, recognition, celebrating, interacting, mentoring, enhancing relationships

· Collaborate – 22%, sharing knowledge and information, discussing, listening, co-creating, showing, brainstorming.

· Learn – 4%, training, concept exploration and development, problem-solving, memorising, discovery, teaching, reflecting, integrating, applying knowledge.

This appreciation of the diversity of both the workforce and the workplace is central to the notion of Dynamic Work. Too often when I speak to people about Dynamic Work they try to pigeon hole it from one specific mode (office work) to another (home working, mobile working). Actually, Dynamic Work encompasses all of the modes of working aligning the mode with the person with the task to be done.

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Edelman’s Velco Office

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Edelman Velcro Office    Edelman logo

An essential component to Dynamic Work is applying the principles of dynamism to the workplace itself. Much as there is too much wasted office space (lit, powered, air conditions, secured) and time in centralised offices, ‘the office’ can and does play an important role in professional productivity.

A little while ago I had the privilege of a tour of Edelman’s offices by their UK chief executive Robert Phillips. Edelman is one of Microsoft’s PR agencies who run a number of campaigns including citizenship and top level vision.

The stereotype is that fancy-shmancy innovative digs are the preserve of well-to-do companies with money to burn on such niceties. The reality of the situation is that despite the couches, the artwork, the chandelier, the leather couches, the bar, the artwork, etc., the ‘fit out’ cost of the space is in the lowest quartile of expense for London offices. A dirty little secret to office space expense is that cubicles and standardised office fittings destroy the wallet as much as the soul.

The FT has done a great overview of the workspace in the article ‘No space wasted in in the Velcro workplace of the future’:

“Breaking down barriers between staff, too, was a primary aim when Edelman HQ combined with two subsidiary agencies in the new office in June. Mr Phillips says the results are already showing through. ‘Our win rate on cross-practice pitches has gone up by 30-40 per cent in four months because people haven't sat in silos,’ he says…Each part of Edelman's office, which was created by Gensler, the international architecture and interior design firm, is multifunctional. This accords with Gensler's model of four 21st-century work modes. Only one of these – head-down, focused work – is solitary. The others – collaborating on tasks, learning skills, and socialising for work purposes – involve interaction.”

Other details are included in the following references: Case study article and a Presentation overview on project by design firm Gensler.

 

People Oriented Architecture – Definition

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Microsoft SOA

As I introduced in ‘Virtual Parallels,’ one of the intriguing developments inspiring my examination in ‘Dynamic Work’ is the parallels between increasingly flexible approaches to resourcing both knowledge work and computer work. In the latter realm of systems, the new approaches are often referenced under the rubric of ‘Services Oriented Architecture.’ The key word – ‘Services’ – refers to an approach to developing computer systems that moves away from monolithic programmes designed and built to do one thing or set of things, to an approach that is more based on a ‘federation’ of ‘components’ being assembled to build the capability required.

Many definitions of ‘SOA’ abound. Microsoft has its own resources on the topic that include a handy definition:

“SOA is a standards-based design approach to creating an integrated IT infrastructure capable of rapidly responding to changing business needs. SOA provides the principles and guidance to transform a company's existing array of heterogeneous, distributed, complex and inflexible IT resources into integrated, simplified and highly flexible resources that can be changed and composed to more directly support business goals.”

One could easily hijack that definition for a description of ‘Dynamic Work’

“Dynamic Work is a standards-based design approach to creating an integrated workplace infrastructure capable of rapidly responding to changing business needs. Dynamic Work provides the principles and guidance to transform a company's existing array of heterogeneous, distributed, complex and inflexible organisation and human resources into integrated, simplified and highly flexible resources that can be changed and composed to more directly support business goals.”

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Community Productivity

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Microsoft has been talking about the ‘New World of Work’ for several years now and as time and conditions have progressed so has the vision. An updated presentation came from Katherine Randolph, Josh Henretig and Nicole Brown in a partner blogcast called ‘Enabling Telework Through Unified Communications. Good for Business. Better for the Earth’.

I particularly liked Katherine’s opening line, “The office is no longer a physical place, but more an environment where they can collaborate whether they are face to face or whether they are remote.”

For me the NWOW represents a natural progression in Microsoft’s ‘productivity’ vision. At the outset, Microsoft was all about ‘personal productivity’ and the cornerstone product was Office. But the ‘XP’ generation introduced capabilities that were less about the tool itself and how an individual user used it and more about how the software was used in a context of a team or organisation. At this point, the vision of ‘productivity’ really expanded to one of ‘organisational’ productivity and paralleled the rise of Microsoft tools as an Enterprise standard not just on the desktop, but also on the server with products like Exchange, Sharepoint and SQL Server.

Now I think Microsoft’s vision is expanding even beyond the walls of the organistion. The benefits to the new approaches to work accrue not just to the bottom line of the P&L, but also to the broader social welfare, environment and economy. Sort of a ‘Community Productivity’ if you will.

Above are a few of my favourite slides from the presentation (click on the slide graphic to see expanded, easier to read version)…

Portfolio Work

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Katie Ledger

I had the chance to meet up with Katie Ledger to discuss her growing examination of Portfolio Work (tagline – ‘How to get money, meaning and magic into your life’). I know Katie from her work with Microsoft UK and her activity in the UK blogosphere and so I had been following her increasing focus on Portfolio Work with its natural connection to Dynamic Work.

One of my hypotheses to Dynamic Work is that ‘within a generation, the majority of white-collar/professional/knowledge-workers will work for more than one company at the same time.’ This notion is the symmetric corollary to the premise that businesses will adopt increasingly flexible resourcing including shared jobs (a company hiring more than one person for the same job and the same time).

Businesses have been increasingly flexible in their contracting with ‘employees’ using greater outsourcing, contracting, consulting and flexible job structures. And, employees are starting to and will demand reciprocal flexibility in their work lives and careers.

The premise extends from the observation cited in the stirring ‘Did You Know – Shift Happpens’ presentation which noted, “The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that today’s learner will have 10 to 14 jobs…by the age of 38.” Clearly, the notion of lifelong employment is withering, replaced by a new dynamism in the workplace. Yes, full of transitions, risks and uncertainties, but also full of opportunities for a new generation.

One of the biggest hurdles to widespread adoption of flexible employment are the risks and skills involved with finding the range of jobs in the portfolio. But the Internet is provides a uniquely powerful resource for people finding people. For matching buyers with sellers. And this efficient digital marketplace will provide a critical foundation to this increased flexibility.

While widespread working with this level of flexibility may be a generation away, Katie’s blog provides a superb guide to what people can and are doing today.

What to call it…

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Welcome to the 'Dynamic Work' blog set up to explore the issues and opportunities around increasingly flexible workplaces driven by the confluence of business needs and technological empowerment.

But beings as a I work in marketing, the first thing we need to do is the 't-shirt'.  It ain't a campaign without a t-shirt and it ain’t a crusade without a buzzword.

In all seriousness, the label here 'Dynamic Work' is woolly enough.  And the thinking in this area is meant to cover a number issues and even disciplines.  Terms like 'mobile working' really just describe one part or dimension.

To illustrate the challenge the descriptive challenge, I offer some leading contenders…

  • Flexible Working – Probably comes the closest to the spirit, but seems to focus primarily on work issues, while think both work and home areas are affected.
  • Distributed Work – Possibly the most semantically elegant term, especially with the parallel between distribution of work content and lifestyle paralleling a similar ‘n-tier’ distribution of increasingly componentised compute processing (Service Oriented Architecture applied to human affairs).  But it’s a bit long winded and dry.  Which brings us to…
  • Service Oriented Workforce – A more direct play on ‘Service Oriented Architecture’ buzzword which is all the rage in IT circles these days for the same sort of flexibility within systems that the new ways of work offer to the workforce.
  • Mobile Working – A term prevalent in Microsoft given our mobile device offerings, but really just confined one dimension.
  • Moofing – A buzzword the Windows Mobile guys coined to ‘verb-alise’ the mobile workstyle.  Its etymology comes from the acronym for ‘Mobile Out Of Facility.’  Funky term, but limited focus. – It turns out that ‘Moofing’ has actually reached the Oxford English Dictionary – at least the American version. In fact, ‘moofer’ was a finalist for the Oxford University Press Word of the Year (http://blog.oup.com/2008/11/hypermiling/), one of only five such words, eventually losing out to ‘hypermiling’ (driving with the aim of conserving fuel). It’s even on the front cover of the OUP book of the Words of the Year. It all started when Microsoft UK determined that there was a lack of terminology to describe mobile working. How do you say: “I am not in the office or using a PC, but I am still working and contactable via my mobile device”? There was no easy vocabulary for that. So the mobile marketing team decided to coin the word ‘moof.’ It used it in its communications and blogs and eventually it took on its own momentum. Moof (verb) and noun (moofer) are based on the OOF in Outlook, ie Mobile Out of Office. For example, “I am moofing today”, “I like to moof at Starbucks” and “rather than being stuck in an office, I am a moofer”.
  • New World of Work – Microsoft's term more generically term referring to a range of workplace impacts on ‘digital nervous systems’ emerging in business.
  • Digaspora:  My own neologism combining ‘digital’ with ‘diaspora’ (‘any group that has been dispersed outside its traditional homeland’).  Cute, but incomplete and a bit overly clever.
  • WorkLife 2.0 – Smacks of hip and trendy techno buzzword to parallel ‘Web 2.0’ which is the bold technology term of imminent shifts into new ways of distributing computing power across the Internet.
  • ‘The Other 95%’ – I've recently read a number of pieces which have estimated that the IT industry comprises 5% of the world's carbon footprint. A significant amount, certainly, and worthy of all of the effort for 'Green IT', but maybe the 'what to call it' catch phrase for 'Dynamic Work' is 'The Other 95%'.
  • ‘Right Working’ – I recently posted on 'The Apprentice Problem' stemming from a conversation with Gren Manuel of Dow Jones, and he commented, "[It's] not home working or office working. its *right working*, you need to have the ability to tailor the environment to the job."
  • ‘Alternative Workplace Strategies’ – Real estate professional organisation CoreNet Global has used the term ‘Alternative Workplace Strategies’ complete with its own acronym – ‘AWS’ – to describe many of the new characteristics common too ‘Dynamic Work.’ They used it in a recent joint study with Microsoft looking at the rise of new approaches to workspaces despite a lagging executive support in companies.
  • 'Results Only Work Environment' (ROWE) – BNET has an article titled 'Blowing Up Business As Usual' (http://www.bnet.com/2436-13059_23-237252.html) – "a management philosophy pioneered by Best Buy that lets employees decide what to work on and when. Giving them control over their time, the theory goes, makes employees not just happier but significantly more productive."
  • ‘Velcro Work’ – The FT article on Edelman notes “Gensler suggests that designing offices for the four work modes can boost productivity by more than 20 per cent and says what is needed is a ‘Velcro environment’ with built-in flexibility and adaptability.” As it happens, the week after visiting Edelman, I had the chance to listen to business guru C.K. Prahalad who refers to ‘velcro organisations’ who can ‘rapidly reconfigure their organisation to respond to the volatilities of the world.’