Modern collaboration practices
Attention
Helping employees manage their attention
MOCA
Using the right tool for the right job
Communications
How communications flow in an organization
Customers
Customer stories
Attention
In today’s frantic world of constant change, employees are having to navigate our attention economy that’s riddled with information pollution and an overwhelming sense of “instant information gratification”. Whilst we are naturally wired to work together and cooperate, there is such thing is “too much collaboration” – when the artificial work processes conflict with the human biology of a single attention. This leads to employees seeing technology as “another thing they have to do” and causes strain on one of our most precious resources – time and energy.
However, there are ways for individuals and teams to take back control and start to place the emphasis on making the most of their time (and that of others) to get the best outcomes for the organization – productivity. A Modern Workplace program is not just about the deployment of technology to the employees, but it must also consider the embedding of “good behaviors” if it wants to create a high performing culture within the organization.
Watch the short video below of guidance on why attention management capabilities are critical and must be included in every Modern Workplace program to build the right learning mindset within the organization.
A Leader’s Guide to Attention Management
Critical guidance for leaders to design the right M365 Adoption Program in the world of Generative AI & Microsoft Copilot.
DownloadThe Mental Stillness app
Free, evidence-based meditation resource available on iOS and Android.
Learn moreArticle: Collaborative Overload
Too much teamwork exhausts employees and saps productivity. Here’s how to avoid it.
Read nowMOCA
Microsoft designed the Modern Collaboration Architecture (MOCA) to address two key challenges:
- To help organizations drive digital culture change across the organization enabled by good attention management practices.
- To address the “What am I accomplishing?”, an evolution from the “which tool when?” question for the Microsoft 365 collaboration suite, demonstrating how all the different tools integrate to enable people to work differently across the organization.
The MOCA equips organizations, teams, and people to position the Microsoft 365 services and enable improved collaboration, supported by a balance between work and life. The MOCA Standard is appropriate for most organizations with the individual, team, community, and organizational focus. MOCA Extended provides a more comprehensive view of how business operations and differentiation can drive effectiveness by enabling people to be their best version.
MOCA ‘Extended’ presentation
Most appropriate for larger organizations that have a focus on cultural growth and have a growing maturity in Change Management.
DownloadMOCA ‘Standard’ presentation
Generally, a good place to start for most organizations looking to drive better collaboration behaviors with their people.
DownloadMOCA ‘Lite’ presentation
Ideal for small and medium size organizations looking to start their people focused collaboration journey.
DownloadCommunications
We humans are not yet good at interpreting intent from written communications; indeed miscommunication accounts for much time wasted as we try and interpret what “the other” meant. What capabilities in the services aid clarity in our communications? How can teams and workgroups build a collaboration charter to support clearer flow of information and communication despite often working asynchronously?
We talk about Microsoft 365 as being a great enabler to communications within an organization. In reality, looking at Microsoft Teams, Yammer, email, SharePoint communication sites, Stream, and all the other applications, picking the right tool to cater for the right type of communication can seem a little confusing. As we saw in the earlier videos, how people spend their attention is important, and we also have the various organizational dynamics to consider (individual, team, community, and organization), so here is some guidance on the importance of using the right channel and building trust in the information to create effective communications flow within your organizations.
Then again, there is nothing better than hanging out with your colleagues at the coffee shop, drinking a nice mocha.
The Communications Flow (PowerPoint deck)
Use this resource to better understand and manage the flow of communication.
DownloadRethinking meeting experiences for the new normal (PDF)
How will our meeting experiences change in this more “hybrid” world of work?
DownloadAvoiding miscommunication in a digital world
In this podcast, Nick Morgan, a communications expert and speaking coach, talks about how to avoid miscommunication in a digital world.
Listen nowCustomers & partners
Our customers and partners have been using the MOCA for the last few months and provided us with some excellent feedback, so we wanted to share some stories with you. If you would like Microsoft to help you embed the MOCA as part of your Microsoft 365 journey, contact your Microsoft Customer Success Manager, your Microsoft Services Executive, or your Account representative.
ActewAGL
Microsoft Services have been assisting ActewAGL drive their Digital Transformation and help them embed the new ways of working, across the business, enabled by Microsoft 365 suite. Jo Fisher, Change and Transition Manager, used the MOCA to position how the Microsoft 365 suite would help each person within the organization become more effective in their role. Here is what she has to say about the MOCA:
“ActewAGL has used the Modern Collaboration Architecture (MOCA) framework from Microsoft to design a custom-built adoption program for introducing Microsoft 365 to our workforce.
Technology that is just installed will never achieve the benefits an organization expects. The MOCA explains Microsoft 365 in a humanistic way. It enables people to understand how Microsoft 365 applications should work together to improve communication, collaboration and information management across individuals, teams, and the entire organization.
While we are still on the journey of rolling out Microsoft 365, our program would not have been as successful as it has been to date without this framework from Microsoft to guide us.”
-Jo Fisher, ICT Change and Transition Manager, ActewAGL (local Canberra electricity and gas utility)
Changing Social
“As a Microsoft Gold Partner, specializing in Change Management and Adoption, Changing Social has successfully utilized the Modern Collaboration Architecture (MOCA) to lead our customers to success. The MOCA framework enables clients to clearly articulate the intent, benefit, and interconnected operation of Microsoft 365. It helps seed a common understanding of the platform and how people can take advantage of it. Fundamentally building the raw technology canvas that allows people to paint their M365 vision upon.
As we lead the way with Microsoft Viva, PowerApps Centre of Excellence, Loop, and all aspects of M365 we tie the customer’s understanding and frame of reference directly to MOCA.
Once our customers feel confident in stitching the story of M365 together and articulating the impact across the business we see genuine excitement and waves of change begin to ripple throughout departments. At the core of this sits MOCA, a reliable and referenceable resource that everyone can talk to.”
-Edd Sheath, Strategy and Change Practice Leader
Engage Squared
“The Microsoft Modern Collaboration Architecture (MOCA) provides a comprehensive and well-structured framework to help our customers to understand how they can best leverage their Microsoft investments in their day-to-day work.
The MOCA assessment tool helps us to understand our client’s current collaboration habits and design adoption programs aligned to their needs.
We value how the model helps to close the divide between what tools are available and how our customers can use them to address their work needs.”
-Samantha White, Senior Consultant
For more information on the MOCA and the supporting conversation, please contact Rishi Nicolai, Emma Stephen, Lauren Dzneladze, or Ross Johnson.
