Unboxing DWG’s 2024 Research Programme

Episode 134: Unboxing DWG’s 2024 Research Programme  

[00:00:02.490] – Elizabeth Marsh 

This is about building the evidence base for everything else. For our members to have that foundation, that basis of knowledge to help them with all of the different kinds of projects and initiatives that they’re working on and to really seed their thinking. 

[00:00:52.720] – Nancy Goebel 

Today I sat down with Elizabeth Marsh, DWG’s Director of Research. It’s really an exciting time for Elizabeth and team, and so we decided to mark the occasion in this episode of Digital Workplace Impact podcast. The headline is that we unboxed the 2024 DWG member research program. I have to say, it’s always a delight to chat with Elizabeth. She just has this calm elegance and such authority in sharing the stories behind how we selected this year’s themes with the help of our Research Advisory Board member input, and of course, the 2024 digital workplace predictions. Join me in conversation with the ever-fascinating Elizabeth Marsh. This is Nancy Goebel, DWG’s Chief Executive and your host. Digital Workplace Impact podcast is brought to you, as always, by Digital Workplace Group. Happy listening. 

[00:01:49.090] – Nancy Goebel 

Hi Elizabeth. Welcome back to the Digital Workplace Impact podcast studio. 

[00:01:54.460] – Elizabeth Marsh 

I’m actaully great to be here. 

[00:01:57.350] – Nancy Goebel 

I have to tell you, this is one of my favorite seasons of the year. It’s time to unbox the DWG member research program, and I’m just so glad to have an occasion to chat with you all about it today. 

[00:02:15.790] – Elizabeth Marsh 

I share your excitement, as you know, when we catch up, and the winter season is that time of year, deciding the new research program and announcing it. So it’s a great pleasure. 

[00:02:30.590] – Nancy Goebel 

And so for those who may be newer to DWG circles, it might make sense for us to do just a little bit of a primer, just a very high level view of what the research program is all about. 

[00:02:45.490] – Elizabeth Marsh 

And I was thinking about where it fits in for Digital Workplace Group. And of course, we have benchmarking, we have member events, all those connections, all of that peer to peer. Of course we have the consulting, and then we have research. And this is about building the evidence base for everything else for our members to have that foundation, that basis of knowledge, to help them with all of the different kinds of projects and initiatives that they’re working on and to really seed their thinking. So a source of ideas, a source of evidence, a source of case studies that people can really use as they come up with their strategies, as they make those all important business cases within the organization. And a little bit like having a really experienced digital workplace expert kind of in your pocket. So the research library has well over 100 reports in there, and we regularly refresh reports as well as producing new ones. And having that source of advice, I think is really valuable. 

[00:04:03.170] – Nancy Goebel 

And if you had to put your finger on what makes DWG’s research program unique or special, is there anything in particular that comes to mind? 

[00:04:18.370] – Elizabeth Marsh 

I think one thing is, of course, that the vast majority of it is member only. So this is a resource for our members. And because of that as well, we can feature very detailed member case studies as well. So it’s their sort of private library in that sense. I think also we go into very specific topics, so we get beyond the sort of broad brush digital workplace topics and go right into it could be people thinking about omni channel approaches to internal comms. It could know how do we produce user centric content? How do we kind of use Viva and Microsoft Viva to its best? What are the kind of inclusive ethical principles that we need to think about in relation to the digital workplace? And those topics span both the very day to day practical topics that people need to work on, and also the ideas, the thought leadership, the things that are coming down the road as well. And so getting both ends of that spectrum, I think, is really important. And I guess the last thing I’d say when I’m writing research briefs and starting to talk to our authors about papers, I’m always keeping the end product in mind. 

[00:05:47.540] – Elizabeth Marsh 

So when that paper goes to our members and they have it on their desk, as it were, how are they going to use it? Can they put it on a colleague’s desk? Can it go into a business case? Can it support real day to day things that they’re trying to work on as well? 

[00:06:04.330] – Nancy Goebel 

I love how you frame all of that so elegantly and so crisply, and it just starts to open up lots of other questions to really understand the framing points for the program. I know that people are often curious about what guides us in our work at DWG, and so you’ve talked a little bit about the outputs or the value that members get from the research program. Can we flip our attention to talk a little bit about the process for developing the program. You mentioned authors, you mentioned the briefs are out already. Let’s paint a picture for how that all comes together. 

[00:06:56.550] – Elizabeth Marsh 

Yeah, absolutely. So this is something that’s ongoing throughout the year. So as, for example, you’re talking to members in meetings or catch up calls. As different people within DWG are interacting with our membership and with the wider digital workplace community, for example, at conferences, et cetera, we’re thinking about what are the topics we need to cover, both in research, but of course in our other content channels. And throughout the year, various people post ideas they might be having, things that members are talking about. We have our ‘Ask DWG’ service where members can come and ask questions about things they may be struggling with or need additional insight. So all of those sources are being input throughout the year. And then in the autumn or in the fall, we start to develop a long list of topics that we’re considering internally, and we gradually whittle that down to a list of twelve that goes to our members in a survey. And this year we introduced a research advisory board who also discussed those topics and gave me some really valuable input. And all of that together with us looking at the research library and thinking about where there might be gaps, things that we need to revisit or develop further, gets us to a final list of usually around six topics that we cover in depth in the research program. 

[00:08:28.690] – Nancy Goebel 

And so you mentioned that the Research Advisory Board is something that’s new for this year. Have other things changed over time and how you put the program together? 

[00:08:43.590] – Elizabeth Marsh 

That’s a good question. I think the Research Advisory Board is the biggest change that we’ve had in recent years as an additional input. And we had some of our senior, very experienced members join in with that process late last year to input into that. And that was such a rich debate and really did influence that final list, especially in context of the kind of curveballs around artificial intelligence, in exactly what aspects we should cover and where to go with it. So that was extremely valuable. I think that the process has, in terms of the member survey, the long list of topics. This has stood the test of time. Something always in my mind, because I’ve run the research program for many years and DWG has run it for many years, is to never rest on our laurels. So to make sure that we’re always looking for new angles, new topics, we bring in different authors, so we have some who author reports year after year, and we also bring in different voices, which I think helps to keep that fresh. And then the other thing that comes to mind, of course, is our member meetings where sometimes we input questions from the research program and get that. 

[00:10:10.040] – Elizabeth Marsh 

And I think that’s become a really important part of the process as well. 

[00:10:15.830] – Nancy Goebel 

Absolutely. And it’s one of those things that part of the power of the research program is that these playbooks that come out in tandem with some of the more strategic pieces not only address the here and now, but help drive the ambition. And so with that in mind, I’m thinking it would be lovely to unbox the key themes for 2024 together as our next chapter in this conversation. 

[00:10:48.030] – Elizabeth Marsh 

Absolutely. And the other piece, of course, is the predictions, which I think have grown in prominence over the years. And I was just looking back at your predictions, Nancy, at the end of last year, and there’s such an interweaving with the research program. Of course, you and I speak on a regular basis, and the way that those two areas of thought, leadership of insight, interact is really interesting, and I’m sure you’ll have perhaps more to say on that as well. 

[00:11:18.520] – Nancy Goebel 

Yeah. And the other thing that we did in a very prominent way as a team for the very first time was almost as a prelude to our 2024 program, was to align each of the predictions with resources that are currently available within the research library, within the podcast library, and other resources that members have at their fingertips. And so not only does that support immediate needs or thinking points for our members, but it also helps, I think, build up the excitement for what’s to come for 2024 as well. 

[00:12:02.630] – Elizabeth Marsh 

And on that note, I’m going to start with artificial intelligence, of course, because that gave us a great deal of pause for thought this year about how we would include that in the program, while, of course, covering the multiplicity of other topics that are on people’s minds and where we got to, because as listeners might imagine, this is a regular part of our research program now. And we published at the end of last year a piece for members around generative AI and what they need to be thinking about, quite an in depth report. And so we were thinking, okay, what’s next, and how is this going to unfold in 2024? And somehow there’s a sense that while it’s still moving extremely quickly and everyone’s trying to keep up with that, there’s also, and I’ll be interested to see what you think there’s a sense of, okay, let’s actually just not quite pause, but step back and think about how are we going to get the most out of these tools and abilities and that’s giving pause for thought around how do we manage content? How do we enable the workforce? What are the skills that we need in the digital workplace team as well. 

[00:13:18.980] – Elizabeth Marsh 

And so that led to the topic, which is the AI readiness report. And while we’ll be continuing to cover AI right through the year, this report is going to be a little bit later in the year so that we can see how some of that is starting to shake out. So it really will be helping teams to think through all those elements. How does knowledge and content management change in light of developments in AI? What are the appropriate ethical frameworks that we need? So all of these different aspects. 

[00:13:55.150] – Nancy Goebel 

And that feels like the right focus at the right time. Last year, we were exploring possibilities, use cases, risk points, value drivers, at a time when the hype cycle was very much at its peak. And we recently had a technology insight for our members and some invited guests, and we drew upon some of our technology providers to help frame roadmaps for their respective capabilities solely around the AI lens. And it’s just really interesting to see how high the need to know quotient is for AI, but also how carefully organizations are treading in many ways about entering this space, not only for the digital workplace teams themselves, but also for organizations at large. There are a lot of questions about the impact on people and how to reduce the fear factor and allow people to understand what the capabilities are, and at the same time, the importance of taking a people first approach the way we should do for any other aspect of the digital workplace. 

[00:15:27.130] – Elizabeth Marsh 

And this came out so strongly in that research advisory board discussion. And I was really heartened to hear how much those organizations were thinking about how do we enable people, because it might be the most amazing tool, but it’s still another tool. And as you said, just as with other aspects of the digital workplace, people need that support and enablement and to get over any fears that there may be. And as you know, in my own academic research, I look at this, and that’s coming out so strongly. And the sheer intensity, really, of the digital workplace experience is one that we need to think about. And so in relation to that topic, partly, and also the fact that while none of us have a crystal ball about where the digital workplace is going to land up at in the next even few years, we all need to get better at kind of futuring, let’s call it looking forward. Understanding the signals that are coming down again came up on the Research Advisory Board, and it’s something I really wanted us to respond to. And so we have a topic I’m calling it futuring for digital workplace teams. 

[00:16:43.090] – Elizabeth Marsh 

So it doesn’t cover how to read crystal balls, I’m afraid, but it does cover, or it will cover tools and techniques that digital workplace teams can use to understand those signals, identify emerging opportunities or threats, navigate some of the uncertainty, anticipate actions that are going to lead to the desired outcomes. And so a colleague has just picked that up and starting to look at how can we make this a very practical report? It was partly inspired by when you and I last spoke on the podcast, we were talking about the 2023 Digital Workplace of the Year awards. And of course those winning teams really were carving out time and energy to focus on this, looking further down the road. And so this also acknowledges that as well. 

[00:17:40.930] – Nancy Goebel 

And I think it dovetails one of the predictions, if my memory serves me, it’s number nine in the grouping this year. And it’s the idea that digital workplace leaders start the year as chaos coordinators and end the year as outriders. And so a futuring tool that helps instigate the clarity and the ambition around what’s needed next off the back of lots of teams having to contend with their organizations shifting from growth mindset to profitability, with continuing questions about the global economy, teams going through restructuring and realignment in a post endemic world, and so instigating the idea that people need to bounce back from the chaos, so to speak, and think about what’s needed next and build a path to get there is really important. And then to have the playbook that instigates an approach for carving out that path is quite powerful. 

[00:18:50.180] – Elizabeth Marsh 

Yes, absolutely. And of course, we also acknowledge that for some teams futuring. Oh, wow. What about the here and now? That’s where we’re really struggling. And we also have reports that are tackling that. One of those is, I suppose, responding to the sheer number of stakeholders that digital workplace teams are having to manage. And we’re looking at it from a digital workplace product management angle that research has just kicked off, in fact, and it’s going to investigate what are the approaches that teams can take towards product management? How do they piece together that cohesive experience from products owned across a whole range of different areas, and how to manage those relationships with product owners, other stakeholders, software vendors, to be able to do that as well. So this is going to be a very practical, very now piece of research, I think, for members. 

[00:19:52.430] – Nancy Goebel 

And where are you taking us next, Elizabeth? 

[00:19:55.480] – Elizabeth Marsh 

Okay, it’s a magical mystery tour. So that’s three of our six topics. So one which is a continuing theme for us, is we’re going to look at the role of the digital workplace in supporting environmental, social and governance. So ESG considerations, and this picks up for some work that we started last year around the environmental aspects of the digital workplace, which we’re actually just started publishing on our blog, so people can go and look at those insights freely. And this will be a sort of primer for digital workplace teams. What do they need to know about ESG? How does their work support it and also align with it as well? And I know already that there are going to be some pretty interesting case studies in that report as well, so that one’s already kicked off. We’re keen to get going with these projects. 

[00:20:53.720] – Nancy Goebel 

Just wanted to quickly reflect on the fact that when I think back to the predictions I published in 2023, both the metaverse and ESG initiatives were among the priorities that I had laid out. And then, of course, AI came on the scene in a bold way with the advent of ChatGPT and the whole generative AI arena. And so we too had to pivot some of our attention. And I’m just feeling very pleased to hear that this has come back on the board as a more detailed area of investigation off the back of the blog that you were talking about earlier. So this space, I think, is quite important for organizations to make a priority, and the guidance around that will be terrific. 

[00:21:50.130] – Elizabeth Marsh 

Yeah, absolutely. And it continues from a track in our research program, which is around how do we make the digital workplace a really responsible element of the kind of work experience. And of course, we looked at the inclusive digital workplace before that as well. So I see this as very much building on that. And then two final papers from this year’s program will be around evolving the digital workplace team. So, of course, we had the inaugural Digital Workplace Team of the Year award last year, which really focused on what it takes to be a successful team. We had some great examples, winners EY and a number of other organizations acknowledged. And so this report will look at where have we come with digital workplace teams? Where are they within the organization? What’s their kind of composition? What are the different patterns of growth, some of the challenges they’re perhaps coming across? How are they building and scaling themselves? How are they branding and promoting that team, and of course, measuring their success? So this will be a bit of a check in report with how we’re progressing in that area. 

[00:23:12.910] – Nancy Goebel 

We have to put the drum roll out for the last one. 

[00:23:15.600] – Elizabeth Marsh 

Yeah, I’m talking about it as the low friction, no friction digital workplace. So over the years we’ve published a lot of research around how do we deliver a user centric digital workplace. This is on a lot of people’s minds, right. And so this paper is, I see almost as a compendium of tools and techniques, a bit of a reminder. So we know that the teams we work with, they know some of these tools, but could we bring them together and also maybe open their eyes to some that they might not have used? So it’ll cover approaches to employee listening, journey mapping, personalization, and kind of signpost off to resources that we have in particular around those different approaches. So hopefully that’s a good one to have in the pocket as teams think about their kind of user research approaches. So that’s 2024. 

[00:24:14.550] – Nancy Goebel 

And if you had to tie it with a little bow, why do you think this is the right mix of themes for 2024? Meaning why now? 

[00:24:24.870] – Elizabeth Marsh 

Yeah, there’s quite a mixture of topics this year. So if asking me that question last year, and I probably would have brought out metrics and impact was a real big theme last year, this year there’s more of a mixture and it’s a case of obviously there’s that kind of AI and looking forward element, which is going to be very important this year. There’s the here and now in sort of ensuring that we retain good practices almost as we engage with that exciting future, that we have a good base in the digital workplace team, that we’re thinking about how that team relates out with different stakeholders and the various product teams, and that also we have at our fingertips the right tools for building that user centric digital workplace. And we’re also thinking outwards in terms of that ESG element as well. So I guess that’s my sort of slightly winding path to tie them together at this point. 

[00:25:26.680] – Nancy Goebel 

Yeah, and I think last year’s program was well timed because again, we were fully out of the pandemic, endemic arena and really establishing a new normal where hybrid was evolving inside of organizations. And we saw the return of the business case and the idea that digital workplace teams were no longer in war room or crisis room mode, but needing to show the ongoing value of the digital headquarters anew. Whereas now there’s such a range of initiatives at play inside of our member organizations in particular, that we’ve needed to sort of bounce back to not only what the emerging trends are, a la AI, but also some of those core things that you think about when you’ve gone through restructuring and budget rationalization and organizational change and you need to work anew so I think that was just a really nice way to cap off a way of thinking about the research program for this year. I guess I have to ask, have we missed anything, Elizabeth? Any final reflections? 

[00:26:50.650] – Elizabeth Marsh 

I feel like we’ve hit on the main points. I think the thing I did find really interesting in deciding the program for 2024 was the AI effect in that it made it much harder to select the right mix of topics because there’s so much that you could cover about it, there’s so much that you could say about it, and of course, it’s coming fast and it’s gradually changing a lot of things. And so making sure that we have the right balance between providing our members and our community with some good answers and some good questions, I guess, in relation to AI, while keeping a very steady focus on all of those elements that enable and make that foundation for a great digital workplace. And so that pause for thought, which was partly through that discussion with the Research Advisory Board, was very interesting to me, and I think that will continue to be the case as we decide what topics to cover in the future. 

[00:28:00.090] – Nancy Goebel 

Yes, and I think that the timing on this research advisory board couldn’t have been more appropriate for the reasons that you’ve just described. Because ultimately we need to ensure that we’re staying true to the voice of our members and reflecting a mix of topics that will be impactful to our members. But then also thinking about how we talk about the digital workplace and the importance of getting feedback from stakeholders, from employees to ensure that we’re reflecting the needs of the experience that get the work that needs to be done, accomplished with less friction, greater productivity, insight, et cetera. And so having the Research Advisory Board play the role to help clear the path for clarity is important, but then also to almost institutionalize that as a baseline approach to thinking through the program will give it even greater weight, I think, in the industry ultimately, and greater value for the members in particular. I guess the last thing that comes to mind for me is that we talked about this as the member research program. However, there are some insights that we do share via either excerpt or through full reports as we’re in conversation with our wider industry circles. 

[00:29:43.540] – Nancy Goebel 

And of course, we do feature a couple of the reports in this podcast series as well. So for those who want to get a taste of this fantastic and highly rated research program, there are opportunities to do that. And it’s just as easy as following us on social and or subscribing to our newsletter on the DWG website. But for the members, things will just naturally flow to them as part of the release of these six research reports as the year unfolds. Elizabeth, it’s always a pleasure to bring you into the studio. I always feel like I’m in the company of a swan in how you frame everything. There’s an elegance to it and such clarity, and I’m sure that you’ve piqued interest and we’re going to be having lots of great conversation with our members and our wider industry circles about some of these core topics as the year unfolds. So that’s exciting for me and for others in our circles, which is great. 

[00:30:57.730] – Elizabeth Marsh 

It’s wonderful to join you, as always, and I enjoy your perceptive questioning. Nancy, if I can just pick up on you mentioned, of course, that we release some reports to the wider community. So if I can make my recommendation from among our recent reports that we’ve released, one is How to demonstrate digital workplace impact. As you said, the business case is back, and that report has some tools and templates for helping our community to do that. So I hope that people will dig into that and make use of those tools that we published last year. 

[00:31:36.590] – Nancy Goebel 

So you always love to dangle goodies, and that’s terrific. And so, of course, we’ll make sure that that report is spotlighted in the show notes so people can easily get to it, whether it’s those who are newer to our circles or members for whom it’s timely to dust it off afresh given the time of year that it is. So with that, Elizabeth, thank you so much for stepping out of your day-to-day to come and a) have a chat with me, but also b) to help unbox the research program for 2024. Very exciting time of year. 

[00:32:19.790] – Elizabeth Marsh 

Wonderful talking to you, Nancy. Thank you. And thanks to your listeners as well. 

[00:32:26.430] – Nancy Goebel 

Digital Workplace Impact is brought to you by the Digital Workplace Group. DWG is a strategic partner covering all aspects of the evolving digital workplace industry, not only through membership, but also benchmarking and boutique consulting services. For more information, visit digitalworkplacegroup.com.