Mile 0

This is the time of year where most people make resolutions, new corporate budgets are finalized, and we start the process of betterment.?“This year, washboard abs”.

I am a CFO and I have always taken a “rolling forecast” approach in my professional and business life. It works better for me.?Starting each day thinking about what is the go forward from here, big rocks, small rocks, and so on works for me.?Like most people my annual resolutions fall apart if not maintained daily or are too grandiose.?Ditto goes for corporate resolutions.?

Yes, I still don’t have washboard abs.?But that is another issue.?Back to the appropriate LinkedIn content (business stuff).

I love the “Mile 0” hat for a number of reasons, the most obvious being it is Key West and reminds me to relax.?The less obvious, is that every time I put it on, or think of it, I am starting a journey.?This year’s business journey is transformation and trying to understand what is next for us.?

My “Mile 0” right now has to do with managing employees on a go forward basis to achieve goals in what seems to be the new normal ‘hybrid’ work environment.?Like many companies we have had challenges due to the great resignation.?COVID / work from home legacy issues are impacting every organization I know.?No one seems to have it figured all out yet.?I think like most puzzles, we need to work backward.?What is the end goal??Butts in seats or exceeding our wildest business goals.?My answer is achieving (and exceeding) company objectives.?This will only be done if we can figure out how to manage productivity in a hybrid or remote environment.?One of the best comments a prior CEO made to me was “We need to build an environment where employees want to come, not one where they feel forced to come.”?

I have a few operating rules in place, and some that I have decided to become a bigger focus in the new year in order to drive better in office experiences, and better remote performance. ??Here are a few that I hope drive productivity and morale.

1.?????To/CC/BCC and the Rule of Three:?E-mail for me is not a big chat room or large document repository.?“To” implies you want to tell the reader something and solicit some sort or a response.?“CC” basically means, “you need to know this so we are all on the same page, but I really don’t need a response”.?“BCC” I am not a fan of.?Either copy or don’t copy, or after you send an email send it again to someone with a message regarding why you want them to confidentially know something.?The rule of three has to do with volume.?First – send message, Second – receive response, Third – conclude or ask another question.?If the issue is not resolved in three, get everyone on a call (Zoom) or better yet meet in person, and resolve.?Three is the tipping point.?If a meeting is called, you have your agenda and defined issues already.?The final email, if needed (four) is conclusion. ?How does this build in-office morale??Focus, less confusion more conclusion.?It also eliminates the chances that things get mis read or start down the wrong path.?A total morale killer is avoided.

2.?????Sticky Note Rule:?If I or your manager or anyone for that matter is looking for you and you are not there, and if we check your calendar and you are not in a meeting somewhere, then we should be able to put a sticky note on your computer that reads, “stop by when you have a second”.?You should be able to appear in 10 or 15 minutes.?People are social and we should encourage them to take breaks throughout the day and have quick chats with coworkers (also have quick resolution huddles like in #1) so there should not be a big missing in action gap.?You are expected to be interacting with your piers and available for quick discussions more proactively during the day.?The time issue is also important, if you are chatting up extensively, you are most likely being disruptive.?Go grab a lunch instead, or if it is a work topic, schedule a more formal meeting. ??

3.?????Core Working hours:?Hybrid makes sense to me, please don’t get me wrong.?Currently living in Houston and after 20 years living in Atlanta, traffic avoidance is a passion of mine.?If I leave for the office at 6, I get there at 6:30.?If I leave at 7, its odds-on favorite that I get in at 8:15 or so.?For me, it means I go early and meet people for breakfast or go to the gym most days because I hate traffic more than I love sleep. People have obligations in the morning too.?At one company I worked for we had a 10 to 4 ‘core office hours’ plan. ?Simply put, you can come in as late as 10 AM and leave at 7 pm (an hour for lunch), or come in as early as 7 AM and be available until 4 PM.?Everyone is available between 10 and 4 (assuming some work arounds for lunch).?It is an absolute morale killer for people to feel like they are putting in a full day when other people are drifting in and out.?When meetings cannot happen because people are unavailable due to late arrivals or early departures it is a productivity killer.?If we want to manage people in a hybrid workforce, consistent availability is key.

4.? “I’ll let you know if it has gone too far” The company I worked for in the 90’s was experimenting with business casual and trying to find the right balance between business formal and business casual.?At first it was baby steps, jeans on Friday.?This quickly evolved into HR needing a definition of jeans (stone washed, ripped, dress, dark light, green, purple).?Then it evolved to ‘crazy ideas’ like not wearing ties Monday through Thursday.?At some point the CEO had a very candid response to the continued requests for what was ‘appropriate’ business casual wear in the office.?What kind of sandals? Exposed shoulders??Classy concert t-shirts? Logos on Polo’s??His response was classic, “Ill let you know if I find it inappropriate, and the next day we can all be formal again.” “Self-policing” kicked in and on more than one occasion people were discreetly sent home to change and come back.

In many ways I think that implementing and enforcing efficient use of communications, quality interactions, and being sure everyone is engaged in the business will help us navigate the hybrid new world order.?Too many rules will become burdensome and we will spend too much time modifying policies rather than just working.?If Hybrid and flexible work days don’t work, at some point someone will stand up and say, ‘it has gone too far’.?Mile 0, start over and rethink. ?Let me know your thoughts, thanks for your time!