Solving a talent crisis 3 (a multi-part article)
by Miki SaxonSince the distant-worker project was a public work-in-progress, Julie had had plenty of time to line up all the reasons it wouldn’t work in engineering, Josh listened and then focused on how much her own workload would increase when Warren left and how great it would be to have Ashok back again—two statements of absolute fact with which Julie didn’t argue.Josh stressed Julie’s ability to communicate clearly, her openness concerning information flow and that these were people whose skills and capabilities she knew well.
He teased her about being a user technophobe, and promised her that she would receive as much training as she needed/wanted to assure her user comfort.
He also said that he was counting on her to evaluate the new products, hardware and software, necessary to make the program work.
Julie still fretted. She said that if the plan made sense she would deal with her own feelings of discomfort, but she was very concerned as to what the impact it could have on the rest of the team. Since she would have no way of knowing what hours Warren or Ashok put in or when/where they were working, how would the others feel about having to come to the office? Although there was some telecommuting, it was for specific reasons, such as weather, family illness, etc.
Josh said he understood because the internal effect was the first stumbling block he’d identified and addressed. Julie asked how. Josh explained that his goal was to radically change their workplace along the lines of what was being done at Best Buy.
He wanted to develop a culture of accountability, grounded in trust that, he believed, would give them an enormous competitive edge for the talent they needed to grow, both now and in the future. He believed that it would be easier to develop and implement the program while the company was young.
Josh went on to say that he didn’t want to be forced to choose between hiring a world-class candidate with an expensive relocation and a less-qualified candidate who was local. He also didn’t want to keep losing the great employees they’d already invested in because they moved.
Once all the concerns she voiced were addressed, Julie finally admitted that she didn’t have enough confidence in her own management skills to succeed. Josh reminded her that she’d said the same thing every time she’d been promoted; she knew that he never tossed someone in the managerial pool to sink or swim and he wasn’t about to start now. This would be a learning experience for all of them—managers and staff—he knew they’d make mistakes, but believed that together they would make it a success.
Continued Monday…
