The iCombine Blog

What actually makes the planning of people and projects so complicated? Where do manual processes reach their limits? How are pioneering organizations in the IT, consulting and project business preparing for the future? Find answers to these and more questions in our interview with akquinet tech@spree.

For the past 20 years, “User Experience” has made customers happy. With the future-of-work movement, we want to transfer the mindset and the successful methods of UX to our workplaces as well. The newly developed concept of “Employee Experience” (EX) focuses on the needs and wishes of employees in order to make them happy(er) in their daily routine.

In this podcast interview, Tim Bosenick and Richard Schentke talk about the insights gathered during the development of iCombine. We address incremental value gained through transparency of competencies and active knowledge management. You’ll also learn how intrinsic motivation, quality and profitability of project work can be positively influenced.

Work in the digital world has reached a large part of our society. This is not without consequences. While companies observed an increase in productivity during the pandemic, many people now feel digitally overloaded. Exhaustion, frustration, lethargy and even sickness are typical symptoms. The voices for a digital detox and less screen time are getting louder and louder. So is the “new digital reality” really as good as we’ve always dreamed it would be in recent years? How do we create a responsible and healthy approach to tools we use for collaboration without letting them stress us out?”

The year 2020 has left many traces in the world of work. The radical change in our work circumstances has suddenly created new priorities, but also challenges that need to be addressed. Our New Work Community has taken a look back. We have drawn many conclusions from the pandemic, and identified the most important working trends for the coming period.

For some time now, academia has been intensively addressing the question of how learning can be re-anchored and redesigned among individuals and within organizations. The idea of “new learning” is intended to create an alternative model for our learning culture. But what exactly is meant by “new learning” and how can it be implemented in practice?

A growing number of conscious consumers and employees pays more attention to the image of products and employers. It is important to them that the meaningfulness of a company’s existence and its significance for society corresponds to own values. During the last Meetup we met five entrepreneurial personalities who have anchored the so-called “purpose” in the DNA of their companies. Check out the various measures they have taken to align their structures and processes with this purpose.

In our everyday and professional life we often get into unpredictable situations. Nevertheless, a quick reaction is required. How can we as individuals react in such moments in a relaxed and professional manner? The techniques from improvisational theater offer a solution!

The output of an organization is dependent on the performance of each individual involved in the work process. To maximize output, it was common to push everybody to the limits while keeping people in their known work stations. Will the desire for more time freedom and adoptable workflows remain a dream?

In the context of our work we are often confronted with challenges that we have never faced before. Creativity plays a decisive role in these situations. SparkCanvas is an effective design method to develop concrete ideas and solutions using structured inspiration.

Remote work – a concept with increasing popularity, now known to everyone due to the Corona crisis and its corresponding restrictions. Many organizations had to switch their employees to work from home. All of a sudden, new processes, digital tools, and virtual meetings are regulating our everyday lives. This abrupt change carries risks, but can also be a great opportunity for the working world. We exchanged notes with experts who already possess many years of experience in this area.

Flat hierarchies, everyone is a friend, we get along well and also do a lot of things together in our free time. The culture in modern organizations is characterized by close and harmonious relationships. “Hire for Attitude – not for skills” places particular emphasis on these aspects. But what happens when conflicts arise? Instead of dodging the issue, we argue to use your consciousness!

What are the typical problems that currently exist in our working world? And how can we sustainably improve the workplace culture and cooperation in companies? We addressed this question at the beginning of the year. Our New Work Community has identified 15 anti-trends and worked out 40 corresponding solutions.