When Collaboration Becomes a Bug, Not a Feature

We all know the phrase “that’s not a bug, it’s a feature.” The reverse might also be true: “a feature can be a bug.” 

Consider collaboration, which virtually everyone considers a desired feature. During the Covid-19 enforced remote work period, that feature has become a bug. 

So much so that a major supplier of collaboration tools and platforms (Microsoft) notes that actual collaboration between people is improved when electronic collaboration drops. That is a byproduct of people being able to congregate again in workplaces. 

One byproduct of enforced work from home rules is that work team isolation increased, creating more silos within organizations. As the possibility of face-to-face interactions returns, use of electronic collaboration tools drops. But Microsoft researchers say that is a good thing, as it reduces the “silo” impact enforced remote work has caused. 

source: Microsoft 

“At the onset of the pandemic, our analysis shows that interactions with our close networks at work increased, while interactions with our distant networks diminished,” say Microsoft research. “This suggests that, as we shifted into lockdowns, we clung to our immediate teams for support and let our broader network fall to the wayside.”

There is a downside: similar companies almost certainly became more siloed than they were before the pandemic. 

“And while interactions with our close networks are still more frequent than they were before the pandemic, the trend shows even these close team interactions have started to diminish over time,” Microsoft researchers say. 

Younger workers (25 or younger) also reported more difficulty feeling engaged or excited about work, getting a word in during meetings, and bringing new ideas to the table when compared to other generations.

“Bumping into people in the office and grabbing lunch together may seem unrelated to the success of the organization, but they’re actually important moments where people get to know one another and build social capital,” says Dr. Nancy Baym, Microsoft senior principal researcher “They build trust, they discover common interests they didn’t know they had, and they spark ideas and conversations.”

I never thought I’d see the day when a major supplier of collaboration tools actually argues that less use of those tools would improve actual collaboration. If bugs can be features, features can be bugs.