1) Originally, companies had authoritative intranets managed by IT for sharing information. 2) Collaborative platforms then emerged for structured project work between business and IT. 3) Social media was introduced, empowering employees but staying isolated from real work. 4) Eventually, social collaboration permeated companies, facilitating transparency, efficiency and self-organization that required leadership over traditional management.

1. From intranet to
digital workplace
Jane McConnell
March 2013
First published in 2010, revised several times since then.

2. The digital workplace is
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3. Here’s how it happened

4. 1
Authoritative,
stable managed
dimension
! Managed information and enterprise applications.
! Owned by Communication.
! At this stage, it is called the “intranet”.
! Structured according to the organizational structure with
control and clear, distinct “territories” and responsibilities.

5. 1 2
Authoritative, Structured
Authoritative, stable
managed dimension
stable managed collaboration
dimension dimension
! The arrival of digital platforms for structured project
collaboration brings “real work” to the digital workplace.
! Goals become productivity & efficiency.
! Business and IT work together to meet operational needs by
creating collaborative platforms.
! Competition starts between the “intranet” and the
“collaborative platform”.

6. 1 2 3
Social collaboration
Structured
dimension
Authoritative, stable Authoritative, stable
collaboration
managed dimension managed dimension Authoritative, Structured
dimension
stable managed collaboration
dimension dimension
! The arrival of “social media” in the enterprise brings
disruption.
! People are empowered, potentially.
! Traditional roles of management, HR, IT and Communication
are challenged as people begin to self-declare and self-
organize.
! However, social stays in its own corner, isolated from “real
work”.

7. 1 2 3 4
Social collaboration dimension
Authoritative, stable Authoritative, stable Structured
managed dimension managed dimension collaboration
dimension Structured
Authoritative, stable
collaboration
managed dimension
dimension
Mobile
dimension
! The convergence of the 3 dimensions goes beyond disruption
to transformation.
! Social collaboration impregnates the enterprise facilitating
visibility of work, openness, efficiency and accountability.
! The digital workplace mode requires leadership rather than
management. It is built on : “freedom within a framework”.
! Self-organizing communities have strong influence over work
and decisions.

8. “Digital Workplace
Trends 2013”
Purchase the report.
www.digital-workplace-trends.com.

9. Thank you.
jane@netjmc.com
twitter @netjmc
Join LinkedIn group: Digital Workplace
(co-managed with Sam Marshall)
Get in touch if you’re interested in a
management briefing, workshop
facilitation, coaching or just want to
chat.
References: Air Liquide, Paris - Amadeus, Madrid – ArcelorMittal, Luxembourg – Areva, Paris – Arup, UK – Alcatel-Lucent, Paris - Alstom,
Paris - AGF, Paris – Bayer, France – Boehringer Ingelheim, Germany – EDF, Paris – EDP, Lisbon - ERDF, Paris - Ericsson, Stockholm -
GDF Suez, Paris - Gemalto, France - GlaxoSmithKline, Belgium - IKEA, Sweden - Lagardère, Paris - Nokia, Helsinki - Novartis,
Switzerland - Océ, the Netherlands - OMV Petrom, Vienna - Pernod Ricard, Paris - PPR, Paris - RATP, Paris - Groupe SEB, Lyon - SNCF,
Paris - Suez Environnement, Paris - Telenor, Norway - Total, Paris - UPM, Helsinki