Marissa Mayer, Yahoo CEO, made headlines recently when she announced that work-from-home employees now must work in the office. My guess is that while walking through the workplace, she was struck by the emptiness, the lack of esprit de corps, and the absence of lively interaction. If this existed, she reasoned, the company could be more productive and begin to thrive.
Turning around a struggling company is not easy, and a CEO often has to make some unpopular decisions. There is definitely value in people meeting and interacting face-to-face. Something gets lost when the only communication is via email, conference call, Skype, or other electronic means. Relationships are created more easily when people get to know each other informally and chat over a cup of coffee or lunch. Business often is accomplished more efficiently when, after working together side-by-side, one understands colleagues’ motivations, personalities, and hot buttons. Trust is essential for any business or interpersonal relationship to flourish.
The problem with Marissa’s edict, however, is that in one fell swoop, she alienated a large portion of her workforce and created an unnecessary backlash from her associates. Unlike her employees, she had the ability to install a nursery for her newborn baby next to her office, which may have engendered cynicism and resentment from many working parents in the company who don’t have the same option.
Flexibility and control of one’s work schedule is a key component of job satisfaction, particularly among millennials. In addition to spending more time with the family, there are many reasons why flexibility is important to employees. Certain tasks require more focus and concentration, and the distractions and interruptions at the office may make a task difficult to accomplish, particularly in open cubicle environments. Sometimes there are personal circumstances—waiting for a repairman or unusually difficult traffic or weather conditions—that create a need to work from home. Sometimes, a person’s responsibilities require late night or early morning tasks due to time zone differences when few people are in the office anyway.
The key to this issue for me is that flexibility is not an entitlement or a right of every employee but should be a management decision based on business demands and the unique circumstances of each employee. One size does not necessarily fit all.
Accountability and trust must exist to ensure that the work is being performed to the expected level of quality and timeliness, so that remote employees are not taking advantage of the situation. The manager may require employees to be in the office for certain core hours of the day and meet together face-to-face for more formal meetings.
Some may argue that managers will not grant the flexibility fairly and will allow some employees more latitude than others. Yes, that’s true. Managers need to make decisions based on the nature of the work, the needs of the business, and individual employee circumstances. Also, work conditions may be modified based on the changing needs of the business; something that employees may need to better understand.
The problem with Marissa Mayer’s decision is that she painted everyone with one broad brush, without allowing for management discretion. While all employees may not be happy with each decision that leaders make, it’s important to explain the ‘why’ of their decision and convey how it will help achieve the long-term vision of the company. They must enlist the help and support of employees to achieve the goal. When making large-scale changes in the workplace, leaders must demonstrate that they value the loyalty of their employees and engage their hearts and minds so that–together–they can create long-term success.
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