AVT Question: Please share insights into the trends and solutions shaping the modern workplace and collaboration spaces.
Thought Leader: Tyler Troutman, Senior Manager of Collaboration Ecosystem and Engagement at Shure
As hybrid work stabilizes, organizations are entering a new phase defined by shifts in collaboration culture, space planning, and technology priorities. In the coming year, success will be measured less by office attendance or tool adoption and more by the quality of collaboration outcomes.
Recent research conducted by IDC and sponsored by Shure reveals that collaboration—not just technology—is the true driver of return on investment (ROI). Collaboration is no longer a supporting act; it’s the engine of competitive advantage. Enter “collaboration quotient”: a research-backed metric redefining workplace intelligence and setting a new standard for thriving in the AI-powered workplace.
As AI-powered capabilities like transcription and translation become the standard, clear and natural audio and video will be essential to both human interaction and AI performance.
Tyler Troutman, Senior Manager of Collaboration Ecosystem and Engagement at Shure
Culturally, organizations will move toward collaboration norms that prioritize participation, clarity, and faster decision-making. From a space planning perspective, meeting environments will be designed to support hybrid-first experiences, where in-room and remote participants are equally seen, heard, and understood.
Technologically, this means a shift from deploying more tools to improving the quality of those collaboration tools and inputs. As AI-powered capabilities like transcription and translation become the standard, clear and natural audio and video will be essential to both human interaction and AI performance.
In 2026, CQ will increasingly serve as a benchmark for workplace effectiveness. Organizations that intentionally design for high CQ will reduce friction, improve engagement, and unlock greater value from their collaboration ecosystems; those that don’t risk continued investment without meaningful impact or outcomes.
