Talk about creating a fire storm of sorts … Yahoo’s Chief Executive Marissa Mayer certainly got a LOT of attention, and fire, with her decision to put an end to home-based employees.  For certain, even before this begins as the new policy this summer, the pundits of various schools of thought have had much to say.  You might find this WSJ article of interest as I have, entitled “At Yahoo, Working from Home Doesn’t Work”.

In looking back some 20 years at a time that the concept of being a ‘telecommuter’ launched an attention-getting trend, I can remember the care with which companies even considered whether or not this would work in their particular business.  If they were to try it, what would be the characteristics of someone they could ‘trust’ to work just as hard at home as they did in the office?  What would be the home ‘office’ set up that employees would be required to have?  It was often the norm that someone, perhaps from HR, made a home visit to view and approve the setup required for approval to be granted on a case by case basis.  These ‘requirements’ were all in addition to connectivity to the company’s computers and other technicalities that made this even feasible.  And it all took place long before the technology advancements that we have today that makes communicating with remote staff members so much easier and even more of a realistic possibility.

However, regardless of all of the communication enhancements, could Yahoo’s move be the result of innovative thinking going too far … or becoming too loose … or even being counterproductive?  What we see regularly in the workplace is the application of convenience based communication tools being applied to the extreme and often the detriment of maximum effectiveness within the organization.  Emails and voicemails are too often used in ways that create division rather than harmony.  Messages are sent and words are used that would not likely be used in direct, face-to-face conversation.  These tools become screens to hide behind while some let it all hang out … in some detrimental and destructive ways.  And if this had become much too commonplace for the good of the organization when all are working under the same roof, imagine how much easier this is when the screen one is hiding behind is many miles away.

Of course I don’t know how much this issue entered into Yahoo’s decision, however, the guess is that in addition to the envisioned positives of working under one roof, there will also be the potential advantage of lessening some of the communication negatives.  If, in fact, the move results in more cohesiveness … better and more effective communication and greater results and success … then it’s simple.  YAHOO!  Your comments are always welcome!

Mike Dorman

Over the past several months have you noticed that some around you in the workplace seem to be breathing easier or expressing sighs of relief?  Maybe you actually heard others or even said yourself  …  “Damn … we made it!  We’re alive and kicking and now we can get back to business … real business and success!”  Undoubtedly being on this end of the past 4 years is cause for the sigh … and celebration.  Yet you KNOW it’s not over.  In some ways the real task is ahead. What’s the real value of surviving if it can’t be sustained and return the organization to a solid and success-filled future?

Today I saw a thought-provoking infographic that speaks to this very well.  One of the graphics asks “What’s the future of business? … changing the way businesses create experiences”.  Or there’s another that says … “Those who do not respond to the new normal are at a greater risk of falling into difficulty”.    (You can see the complete ‘sign’ here.)

Given the challenges facing businesses, the messages of the above referenced infographic play well to the theory of ‘Break-It Thinking’ that can help keep an organization alive and vibrant.  It’s a concept that is described in the book “If it Ain’t Broke, Break it” and is based on the theory that when we continue to operate on the basis of what has made us successful yesterday, and, we are in a rapidly changing world … it very often marks the beginning of our downward slide.  That the past few years are representative of and a catalyst for ‘a changing world’ is a gross understatement.  Today, because your organization is here and alive, making the right choices to insure the success you want seems critical to making the vision of a bright future a reality.

‘Break it thinking’ has the potential of bringing about life-saving awareness to the organization.   It seems that in the blink of an eye our approaches, products, methods or processes can become obsolete … almost overnight.   Has the recent years of tsunami like conditions made change mandatory?  Some questions to ponder might include …

1. How are you marketing yourself and/or your product?  Same old … same old or have you embraced the added … and FREE … reach afforded by blogging and social media?
2. Are you certain that your customer base is still there with the same needs?  Or … has it changed for they too, were on the wild ride to survive?
3. What changes that you had to make in order to survive have you incorporated into your move-forward processes … because they just make sense while saving you cents.

Of course there are many areas to which you can apply break-it thinking.  Of great importance is a willingness and a dogged determination to avoid the trap of ‘business as usual’ when it is clearly not.  There is a new normal.  We don’t have full control over that however we do and can control how we adapt to it.  Change really does make the world go round … if we let it!

Mike Dorman