I have written a few posts on this blog before about the benefits and challenges of multi-generational project teams, and also the impact Gen Y employees are having on the workforce. But I recently came across an article Bill Patterson at Microsoft showing just what effect Gen Y is having on collaboration in the workforce.
People often associate Gen Y with a generation familiar with technology such as the internet, mobile phones and iPods, along with a tendency to be self-centred and impatient. But did you also know that they are the generation most likely to want to succeed collaboratively for a whole team’s outcome than for individual results? It is this aspect of Gen Y that is starting to revolutionise workplaces and what companies like Microsoft are focussing on in order to keep their products relevant and supportive for workplaces.
With the increasing number of Gen Y employees, the workplace is becoming much more collaborative than ever. And this bodes well for professions like project management, where collaboration among project teams is one of the best ways to ensure success.
So what are companies like Microsoft doing with their technology to help facilitate these evolving trends in the project management workplace? Microsoft Dynamics CRM, which is the platform for our project management software has for a long time been able to integrate with Microsoft Sharepoint. This means that project information stored in CRM can be transferred to the collaborative tool Sharepoint, where teams can create websites to share content, manage documents and publish reports online. And just last month, Microsoft acquired the social media tool Yammer, which allows team members to share ideas and information online and instantaneously.
This new trend of greater collaboration brought about by Gen Y really does have a positive impact on the future of project management. As the profession has always relied heavily on collaboration, the advent of these new technologies as a response to the trend can only further enhance and support collaboration within project teams.
If you would like more information on managing your projects with collaborative tools like Microsoft Dynamics CRM, please do not hesitate to contact us.