Tag Archives: employee performance

The Downside of Remote Work

I came in this morning planning to write about the downside of remote work. It isn’t for everyone. In fact, it creates new long-term problems for businesses and will continue to do so. (For a related topic, see my previous … Continue reading

Posted in Building Value, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Management | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

5 Responses to The Downside of Remote Work

  1. Tracey Cheek says:

    I don’t completely disagree with you on this. Remote work is disconnected and collaboration and communication is hard. But we do it. I have been able to expand my reach for finding quality team members as well (I live in Oklahoma and talent can be limited here). But I do offer something that not many others can offer. I offer part-time flex work mainly for moms who are raising kids and want to work, but don’t want to go back to the workforce full time. There is a huge network of highly qualified women out there that fit this mold. As I’ve grown my team, I’ve learned there are more and more people out there piecing together remote part-time jobs so they can have flexible hours and flexibility of schedule. That’s the one thing the traditional companies cannot offer.

    • John F. Dini says:

      Your point is well taken, Tracey, but I can only partially agree. I recently read the new flex-work policy for one of the largest accounting firms in the country. They have options including part-time (scheduled by employee choice by days or hours), seasonal, surge, total-remote, partially remote, hot-desking as needed, sabbaticals, extended PTO, split-shift, and several others I never saw detailed before. The big-salary jobs I described are admittedly full-time, but that doesn’t mean large companies can’t match your flexibility.

  2. Christi Brendlinger says:

    I think that you missed a significant benefit for remote workers employed by Main Street companies… diversity, growth and burnout. The best thing about my job is that there are constant challenges and as a result, you get to wear a lot of hats. You get to try and solve wide-ranging problems outside of your expertise and that’s just plain fun (at least for weirdos like me). I know what it’s like to work for a large corporation. I have worked for several Fortune 500 companies and I shudder to think about going back to that world… even remotely. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE coding but I also love all of the side projects, the unpredictability and opportunities to do something I’ve never done before. I get to move back and forth between projects at my pace so, I don’t burn out. Every day is a new adventure. Don’t forget about that when you are talking about the advantages of working for a Main Street company. For me, it’s a pretty big deal.

    • Beth Sorenson says:

      Though I kind of see your point about culture, John, I completely disagree with JP Morgan’s, “It doesn’t work for those who want to hustle. It doesn’t work for spontaneous idea generation. It doesn’t work for culture.”

      When employees show up to work after sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic only to find another spewing off his/her own complaints upon arriving, how does that help with company culture or the bottom line? That spawns a full morning packed w/ negativity and unproductivity.

      I have worked remotely for almost 10 years. The flexibility allows individuals who are hustlers, get ‘r done-type workers, to decompress and come up w/ spontaneous, out-of-the-box ideas that they may not have in a cubicle. I have found that the largest obstacle to overcome working remotely is building trust, but that happens in-house as well..it takes time.

      Remote workers often don’t have the benefit of clocking out; the tasks and means to get it done are only a hand’s throw away. Us, not so hustlers, are typically the first to get the job done, regardless of personal schedule.

      I think JP Morgan needs to hire a new PR firm , possibly some new strategists.

  3. Doug Scheiding says:

    During and now post COVID I have started to remote work two days a week, usually Tuesdays and Thursdays. This is getting me an additional 4 hours of my weekly time back to make me more productive and a better quality of life. I do agree that remote work does degrade if not eliminate culture and spontaneity of idea/collaboration. It is also not for those that aren’t goal oriented or those that need others for motivation. Thus a part time model I think is best if it can be worked out.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Return to Work Owner’s Guide

Return to work policies are a new COVID-related minefield for business owners to negotiate. As more states make COVID control measures less restrictive or optional, the “requirements” of a safe workplace, and what we can demand of employees, are becoming … Continue reading

Posted in Building Value, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Management | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Internal Leaders Affect the Value of Your Business

Internal leaders may not be obvious and can influence your team either positively or negatively. If you fail to identify them, however, you could see a dramatic effect on the value of your company. Continue reading

Posted in Building Value, Entrepreneurship, Exit Options, Exit Planning, Exit Strategies, Leadership, Life After, Management | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ebenezer Wasn’t the Only Boss

Each year I reprint a post from 2013 about the underappreciated boss of A Christmas Carol, Mr. Fezziwig. I hope that you enjoy it. Merry Christmas! This week was the 177th anniversary of the publication of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas … Continue reading

Posted in Leadership, Management, Thoughts and Opinions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

COVID Fatigue Unites Business Owners

Dealing with  COVID fatigue unites business owners. If that sounds strange to you, let me make my case. I’m not doing this to whine, but I want business owners who don’t have an existing support structure to know that they … Continue reading

Posted in Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Management, Thoughts and Opinions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

3 Responses to COVID Fatigue Unites Business Owners

  1. Kay Scroggins says:

    Thank you, John, for writing this. The chronic impact of COVID-19 seems to get heavier as time goes on. Being part of TAB where I can share thoughts/feelings about difficulties has been so helpful during this time. Successful business owners have perseverance, but these times sure have been challenging. Your statement about the serial issues/problems is spot on. We fix one issue only to have several more lined up to deal with. The issues brought about by COVID-19 are on top of our usual issues so take even more time/energy/money… I hope you are well. Thank you again for your article.

  2. Jay McDowell says:

    John,
    In a few short paragraphs you have succinctly stated what so many feel, but are at a loss to define or adequately express. I have copied and shared your thoughtful article with a couple of my Business Coaching Clients that are doing “well” during COVID and yet feel strangely guilty in doing so. They know much of their “New Normal” success is COVID generated, and is temporary in nature, but are thankful, and a little guilty, that it comes from the misfortune of others.
    Lemonade from lemons with a COVID twist?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *