chapter 4

business behavior

Combining Proven Strategies with 21st Century Expectations

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it.”

—WARREN BUFFETT

Kate has spent months cultivating a business relationship with a very successful, soon-to-be retiring executive. She has outlined the ambitious plan she proposes for his retirement account, suggesting the prospect of very healthy growth and a comfortable yearly income. Kate, a 38-year-old wealth management advisor, knows that for Robert, a conservative gentleman, it is important that he work with a firm that shares his values. Kate also knows there is a lot of competition for his business. But they seem to have developed a nice, respectful rapport, and she thinks he may be ready to commit. Kate’s fingers are crossed. This next call could close the deal.

The call goes well, and as it winds down Kate asks Robert when they can meet to share more information and sign formal papers. At that very moment, her colleague in the next cubicle, who is arguing on the phone with his ex-wife, shouts out a stream of obscenities that can be heard throughout the entire office. Kate freezes. Her client goes silent. Then he clears his throat and says, “Thank you, I think I have all the information I need. I will let you know if I plan to move forward. Good-bye.”

Here you are with your newly burnished brand, your finely adjusted attitude, and your perfectly appropriate attire. You’ve even managed to travel to work with life and limb intact. You are someone about to start a new job and will allow nothing to derail what promises to be your banner first day! There’s just one more thing to consider. The culture of the organization you have just joined is one that can only be fully appreciated from the inside. You’ve done your due diligence and know as much as any outsider could possibly know about this organization. So it’s a bit of a shock to discover how different things are on the other side of the glass door.

The Glass Door

Jake, 23 years old and eight months on the job, only wishes he had known when he started what he knows now. His job as a representative at a call center had been described as simple and pressure-free: He would answer callers’ questions about products, and if they expressed interest in buying, he would transfer them to the sales department to handle the sales. The first couple of months were fun as Jake learned about the products and bonded with the other new hires. But once he was on the phone full-time, this “no-pressure” job turned into anything but.

Jake was quickly informed that too many of the calls he was sending through to the sales department were unqualified prospects, wasting the sales representatives’ time. He also learned that the number and length of his calls were measured, his conversations were monitored, his emails were counted, and his time on social media was logged. And all of these statistics would factor into his job evaluation, affecting any potential pay raise or promotion.

During the interview process, Jake had been delighted to hear about the company’s unlimited vacation policy, flexible schedules, and flat organizational structure that gave employees unfettered access to the higher-ups. “How great was that nap room!” he said to himself at the time. But Jake soon realized that no one actually used any of these highly touted benefits, as though there was some unwritten rule against it. And although they had access to the executives’ calendars to schedule meetings with them, no one ever did. Instead, there was not-so-subtle pressure to stay late, forgo vacation time, and keep one’s ideas and concerns to oneself. Jake knew he was in the real world now. He just hadn’t anticipated what reality would look like or how fast it would be upon him.

A surprise awaiting digital natives in particular is that the flat organizational structure they envisioned is not so flat after all. Designed to eliminate unnecessary layers of management and foster collaboration, decision-making, and creativity, the flat structure is particularly attractive to millennials eager to share their ideas. It’s not just young start-up companies with little hierarchical structure to dismantle or e-commerce companies like Zappos that have embraced flatness. Staid manufacturing companies like General Motors are also dipping their toes in the flat waters. According to Tim Kastelle in Harvard Business Review, “There is a growing body of evidence that shows organizations with flat structures outperform those with more traditional hierarchies in most situations.”¹

If there is agreement that flatter is better in theory, there is less agreement on whether it works in practice and whether organizations are actually as flat as they claim to be. Google itself dabbled in this approach back in 2002 when it decided to do away with the management level in its engineering operations, but within months, management was back. Going forward, there will likely be degrees of flatness determined on a company-by-company basis. To be on the safe side, new employees will want to find out what kind of structures their organizations have and make no assumptions.

Penni Connor, a vice president at the Fortune 500 energy company Eversource, says, “Eversource is deliberately trying to create a workplace that encourages entrepreneurial thinking.” She also says there is a time and place for sharing. “In a rush to get their questions answered, there is no hesitancy (among millennials) to take their questions right to a higher-up who could answer it, but is not necessarily the best person to answer it.” She adds, “They need to ask themselves how to navigate the hierarchy better.”

Older workers used to a hierarchical structure can also make missteps. If their new culture is one that not only encourages but also expects employees to speak up, holding back will do them no service. Become keenly attuned to expectations within your organization, and proceed with caution. Your CEO may welcome weekend texts from employees, and if so, text away. But you’ll want to make sure of that before you interrupt his golf game, a dinner party, or a nap.

What awaits you on your first day is a plethora of people, all eager to pass and share judgment about you, the new kid. You’re a curiosity to all, a threat to some, and more work for others. Your attitude, energy level, attire, style, demeanor, confidence, judgment, grace, and overall professionalism will say volumes about you, even before you’ve had a chance to say “good morning.” Your level of comfort and skill in making polite conversation will add to what becomes a practically indelible first impression—the only first impression you’ll get to make. The success of your first day may have an unalterable impact on the success of all of your future days. It is wise to execute it thoughtfully.

THE FIRST DAY

Arrive early. Be well rested, well dressed, and raring to go. Shake hands and introduce yourself to colleagues, and try to remember their names.

Thank everyone. Thank the person who announces your arrival, escorts you to your desk, arranges for your security badge, sets up your technology, walks you through stacks of paperwork, directs you to the break room and restroom, invites you to lunch, and offers you information. Your gratitude will be remembered.

Look and listen. Pay attention to the general office vibe. When do people arrive? How quickly do they get to work? How do they interact with one another? When do they leave? What is the noise level? Respect the culture and follow suit.

Take notes. Record important information on your phone or a notepad. Having new codes, names, numbers, and emails at your fingertips will help you assimilate quickly.

Everyday Manners

Brimming with confidence, Connie had aced her telephone and Skype interviews for a fabulous new job as a sales manager with a leading consumer products company. She has one more hurdle today, the in-person interview, after which Connie believes the job will be hers!

An experienced 34-year-old sales professional, Connie is confident but is taking no chances. She leaves three hours early for a drive that would usually take two hours, getting to the company parking lot with plenty of time to spare. Connie had decided she would do her hair and makeup when she arrived, to look as fresh as possible.

She drives around to the quiet far side of the building, out of sight of parked cars or incoming traffic, and picks a sunny spot for good light. She brought her portable curling iron and begins curling and spraying her hair. Perfect, she thinks! In the bright light, she notices and tweezes a few stray hairs on her eyebrows. She adjusts her bra straps and her blouse and after a quick underarm “sniff test,” applies a little more antiperspirant. “Just to be safe,” she thinks. She brushes and flosses her teeth, looking in the car mirror to make sure there are no leftover poppy seeds from this morning’s breakfast bagel. She swishes around some mouthwash then spits it into her cold coffee. She puts on her lipstick, rubbing with her little finger a bit that had gotten onto her tooth. Finally, she pours the mouthwash and remaining coffee on the ground. Finished.

With a satisfied smile, Connie drives to the building’s entrance, parks, and enters. It takes a while for the hiring manager to arrive and escort her to his office. He seems to avoid making eye contact with her. Is he shy? As they make their way down the long corridor, Connie struggles to make small talk, to no avail, and begins to experience a growing sense of dread.

As the door to his office opens, Connie sees the view immediately outside his window. It is exactly where she was parked just minutes ago, performing her beauty and personal grooming rituals in the brightest, whitest sunlight.

Each day, people who have a great deal of influence over our current and future careers have their eyes peeled and their antennae up. The good news is we have a great deal of control over how others perceive us. It’s just a matter of making the right decisions.

PAY ATTENTION TO OTHERS

Do you look back as you walk into a building to see who might be coming in behind you, or do you absentmindedly let doors shut on coworkers?

Do you cheerfully greet security personnel by name or treat them as if they were invisible?

Do you look up when walking in corridors, or are you glued to your device, oblivious to the passersby?

Do you check to see who might also be trying to catch the elevator, or do you hit “close” the minute you are aboard?

Do you keep right on stairs or position yourself squarely in the middle, impeding others trying to get by?

Do you talk loudly on the way to your desk or keep the decibel level down out of respect for colleagues who are working?

The number of ways in which colleagues can potentially offend or irritate others before buckling down to work each day pales only in comparison to the opportunities they have to do so once the workday begins. These unintentional behaviors may seem trivial, but when regularly subjected to them, they become a monumental nuisance. Resentment builds, relationships suffer, and brands are bruised, all for want of a little common courtesy.

What annoys people at work? The list is very, very long. It includes not allowing others to get off of elevators before getting on, constant tardiness, leaving dirty cups and dishes in the lunchroom, wafting food aromas, personal grooming at desks (nail-clipping, flossing, hair-brushing, etc.), poor personal hygiene, incessant and loud personal calls, gum-chewing, loud talking, humming, whistling, singing, noise-emitting electronic devices, conducting conference calls and speakerphone conversations in open spaces, never contributing to collections for gifts, coming back late from breaks, not reimbursing coworkers for miscellaneous expenses, never making coffee or lunch runs, always asking for but never having stamps (or tissues, gum, mints, etc.), eavesdropping, noisy jewelry, heavy walking, foot-tapping, finger-drumming, knuckle-cracking, throat-clearing, nose-blowing, pen-clicking, and sniffling.

The list goes on.

Staring, failing to observe personal space boundaries, lurking outside someone’s cubicle or office door, interrupting others’ work instead of calling or emailing ahead, reading coworkers’ computer screens, emptying but never refilling candy jars, incessantly talking about new babies (or relationships, homes, cars, etc.), being overly dramatic, being lazy, boasting, yelling, arguing, swearing, fist-banging, door-slamming, leaving break rooms (or restrooms or meeting rooms) dirty, taking up too much parking lot space, stealing food, leaving coffee pots (or water jugs or copy paper trays) empty, slurping coffee, eating noisily, pranking, dressing inappropriately, not thanking others for holding doors, laughing or commenting out loud at text messages or emails, not asking permission before borrowing others’ property, not returning borrowed items, emitting bodily sounds and odors, decorating office spaces unprofessionally, and currying favor with bosses.

The advice regarding these behaviors is simple: don’t. As Henry Ford, Sr., said, “Paying attention to the little things that most men neglect makes a few men rich.”

Business Meetings

Did you ever wonder just how much time people spend in meetings? According to a study by the Australian software company Atlassian, most employees attend 62 meetings a month of which 50 percent are considered time wasted. During an average 31 hours per month in meetings, 91 percent of employees daydream, 73 percent do other work, 47 percent complain, and 39 percent sleep. The cost of unnecessary meetings in the U.S. per year: an eye-popping $37 billion in salary.²

Regardless, executives overwhelmingly agree that face-to-face meetings are still the best way to persuade, lead, engage, and make decisions. Rather than do away with meetings entirely, simple strategies can be employed to make yours as productive as possible.

MAKE SURE YOU ARE NOT THE ORGANIZER WHO:

Fails to have a valid reason for the meeting, invite the right people, or send an agenda

Neglects to reserve a meeting room, test AV, or order materials and refreshments

Forgets to send pre-meeting assignments or reading or to advise attendees what will be expected of them

Schedules ill-timed meetings such as early Monday morning or late Friday afternoon

Fails to intervene when attendees show disrespect through words or behaviors

The biggest complaint about meetings by far is that they were not necessary to begin with. These complaints are valid if the information could have been communicated in other, better ways, if key stakeholders were not available, if there was not enough time to prepare, or if nothing would have been gained in holding the meetings.

FLAWLESS MEETINGS

Invite only those who can contribute to and/or benefit from attending. These include both stakeholders and opponents. Send agendas and assignments/reading in advance. You need not invite higher-ups, but inform them of meetings and let them know they are welcome to attend.

Prepare tent cards. This is especially important when attendees do not know one another, and it’s a nice touch even when they do. At formal meetings, decide on seating and arrange tent cards accordingly. Make introductions, invite attendees to help themselves to refreshments, and let them know where the restrooms are located.

Consider timing of meetings. Early mornings when people are fresh are great if high participation is required. Mid- and late-morning meetings are good as long as they do not run into lunch. Lunch meetings can work well, as long as attendees are fed! Mid-afternoon meetings require energetic presenters, activities, or engaging topics to keep people awake. Late afternoon meetings are fine if they do not conflict with departures.

Set meeting expectations up front. These include how and when attendees will be asked to contribute, when breaks can be expected, and whether using devices is permitted. Electronic device use at meetings can be a big problem because others often feel disrespected or ignored. A client told me that the person using a device is saying, “You are not worthy of my time.” The culture of the group may allow it, but unless everyone is on his or her device, it is wise to stay off of yours.

Thank people for their attendance. Discuss next steps, and then confirm them in an email.

Adhering to these guidelines will stand you in good stead. If, in addition to these, you start on time, stick to the agenda, and end on time, you will be inducted into the meeting organizer hall of fame!

Attending a Meeting

As a meeting attendee, you also have responsibilities. What you do before, during, and after a meeting will be critical to its success. Occasionally, you will be invited to a meeting and wonder why. It may have been a courtesy invitation or, possibly, an invitation sent by mistake. If you are ever unsure about why you were invited, it is perfectly permissible to ask the organizer. In some cases, you will have the opportunity to gracefully bow out.

Arrive early and prepared. Introduce yourself to other attendees and take advantage of this golden opportunity to “work the room.” Be sure to comply with instructions given by the meeting chair about seating, breaks, participation, and electronic device use.

Respect others’ opinions. Do not interrupt, argue, or hold side conversations.

Display attentive body language. Do not slouch, cross your arms, roll your eyes, look out the window, frown, shake your head, yawn, doze off, or doodle.

Stay in your seat. If you think there is a chance an emergency might arise, such as a call about a sick child or expectant wife, ask the meeting chair beforehand if it would be all right for you to keep your phone on for this reason only. But even then, keep it out of view and silent.

Take notes on a laptop or tablet if allowed. But do not get caught doing anything extracurricular.

The Team

Today’s workplace is all about teams, and it’s easy to see why. Put together a group of people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, and talents, and a more creative solution to a problem or situation is sure to follow. The benefits that accrue to organizations and employees from effective team interactions include greater productivity, better human resource utilization, increased learning, improved morale, and greater efficiency. The bottom line is that when people work together in a positive fashion toward a common goal, anything is possible.

But it’s not always easy. Egos get in the way. And if they do, conflicts arise, resentments build, power struggles develop, alliances form, and feelings get hurt. The result is wasted time, energy, and resources. If teams do work effectively, it is because members have taken personal responsibility to do their respective parts.

TEAM MEMBERS

Polish their attitudes. The nature of a team is to bring together divergent views and experiences to achieve the best possible result. Disagreements are welcomed but disagreeable behaviors are not. Effective team members show respect, humility, a willingness to learn, and an acceptance of the wisdom of the collective. They keep calm even when others do not and keep the focus on the issue at hand.

Hone listening skills. Good team members encourage others to share their expertise through active, attentive, and respectful listening. They never argue or interrupt, but instead allow others to express themselves as they choose, presuming it is respectful of other attendees.

Exhibit exemplary verbal and nonverbal communication skills. Good team members are respectful in their tones, words, and body language. They always take the high road.

Execute their responsibilities. Good team members are responsible, responsive, thorough, and timely. They never pass the buck or lose sight of the team’s goal.

The Cubicle Farm

Patrice cringes. Here comes Dottie, and she looks like she wants to talk. Again. Patrice likes Dottie, but she comes into Patrice’s cubicle three or four times a day to talk about whatever is on her mind. The topic could be anything—her brilliant new grandson’s most recent milestones, the latest company gossip, a recap of last night’s TV shows, or the weekend weather forecast—no thought goes unshared.

The problem is, every visit breaks Patrice’s concentration. She has tried every subtle means she can think of to discourage Dottie, from keeping her eyes on her computer screen when she approaches to piling her office chair with books and binders so there is no place for her to sit. Sometimes she offers Dottie only a brief smile or a one-word acknowledgment to her greetings, and she has even said, “Sorry, I was concentrating. What did you say?” But none of these have worked.

So Patrice decides it’s time to be direct. She gently tells Dottie that to keep on task, she needs to keep their visits to break times. Not the least bit offended, Dottie says, “I only stopped by because I thought you really liked my visits. You should have just told me. Really!” Problem solved.

Today’s workplace looks nothing like what digital immigrants remember when they joined the workforce pre-1990. Then, it was primarily comprised of offices, with sizes and locations determined by hierarchy and rank. Executives occupied large, beautifully appointed, carpeted corner offices with magnificent top-floor views. Everyone else worked on floors below in spaces and square feet determined by their positions and tasks. There was little collaboration between the ranks. If a worker was unlucky enough to be “called on the carpet” for a conversation with an executive, it was not a good thing. Open-plan spaces did exist, but were reserved for entry-level employees or those who performed specific functions such as clerical staff.

The office has changed dramatically, largely because of technology. Employees now also work from their homes, cars, hotel rooms, or local coffee shops. Business is conducted on a treadmill, a train, or a plane. Today, 9 to 5 is 24-7. The corner office, if it exists, has walls made of glass. But offices are hard to come by because collaboration is king, and the open-plan layout is its castle.

The Open Office

Creativity. Productivity. Agility. These are the promises of the new workplace. Designed to encourage communication and improve effectiveness, in open-plan offices, employee work side by side at desks, in chairs, or at long tables. They stand, they sit, they wander. According to the International Management Facility Association, a full 70 percent of U.S. employees currently work in such an environment.³

In concept, the design makes sense. But in reality, it has its challenges. Studies show that the majority of employees are not happy about open-plan offices, citing lack of privacy as their greatest concern. A study by the global design firm Gensler reveals that open-plan offices actually lower productivity and focus and significantly increase sick days.⁴ Tenured workers in particular may have a hard time adjusting to the concept, especially if it means giving up the cherished privacy and status they equate with private offices. But technology giants such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter are all on board, and such traditionally conservative industries as insurance and financial services are increasingly adopting the concept. Love it or loathe it, open-plan is the new standard.

The form and function of the entire office is evolving. Companies are going to great lengths to design spaces in which ideas can be captured from chance encounters. Among them are wider staircases that allow for side-by-side conversation, booths in lobbies and lunchrooms for spontaneous brainstorming, barstools in cafes for tête-à-tête communication, free transportation shuttles for sharing ideas with seatmates, and on-site laundry facilities for impromptu discourse over the dry cycle.

Employees may not agree on the merits of today’s workplace evolution, but they can perhaps mutually agree on best behaviors for working within them.

Cubicle Life

If you still happen to work in a cubicle, you will notice its size is shrinking and its walls are lower. Cubicle dwellers face challenges in getting work done without interrupting, or being interrupted by, neighbors just inches away.

POLITE POINTS

Keep volume low. This applies to conversations, music, and electronic devices. Use earphones, mute devices, and conduct speakerphone conversations and meetings in spaces designed for these purposes.

Don’t eat at your desk. Pungent foods, such as Indian or Mexican food, or reheated fish, are not welcomed aromas for many. If you do eat at your desk, dispose of food wrappers in appropriate receptacles.

Be aware of all olfactory issues. Fragrance, worn gym clothing, and bare feet can be unpleasant smelling to those nearby.

Keep décor tasteful. Tasteful photos, appropriate objet d’art, quality desk accessories, and small plants are fine. Do not display items that could be considered offensive or controversial. If you wouldn’t say it, don’t display it!

Respect coworkers’ privacy. Do not enter cubicles unless invited, read others’ computer screens, touch others’ belongings, help yourself to coworkers’ candy or snacks, purposely listen in on conversations, or comment on anything overheard.

Common Areas

Using common amenities and areas requires a great deal of trust and honesty among coworkers. Incredibly, employee theft in general and theft of coworkers’ food in particular are extremely common occurrences. According to a 2015 report by statisticbrain.com, employee theft amounts to $50 billion per year, and 75 percent of employees admit to having stolen at work at least once.⁵ Inc. magazine says 43 percent of employees report they have had food stolen from them.⁶ A good rule of thumb to employ: Unless you brought it, bought it, or someone expressly invited you to it, do not help yourself to anything. This also applies to food left in common areas after lunches and meetings. While it may seem to be there for the taking, there could be plans for the food, and you may be advised of this while helping yourself to it.

If you decide to take advantage of any of the common areas available to you for collaboration or privacy, resist any temptation to take up residence in them. We all want and need privacy from time to time, but common areas are meant to serve as temporary oases, not permanent solutions to privacy quests.

The New Schedules

“This is not working,” a frustrated Grace says under her breath. A 43-year-old career advisor at Jefferson Junior College, Grace recently returned to her job after a five-year hiatus following the birth of her daughter. She was happy when a new job-sharing arrangement with her colleague, Jim, a long-time employee, presented itself. Jim had been on the verge of retiring but decided a part-time paycheck would be perfect as he got his gardening business off the ground. Grace thought it would work well for her, too, because she would be able to drop off and pick up her young daughter from school three days a week.

It’s only been a few weeks, but the arrangement is beginning to fray. Increasingly, Grace feels like she is doing much more than her share and that Jim’s communication is woefully lacking. Just yesterday, a recruiting visit they were supposed to arrange for a key local employer fell through because Jim did not let Grace know that the recruiter was expecting to hear from her. It’s like Jim’s mind is elsewhere, probably on his new gardening business, Grace thinks.

Grace cannot do this entire job by herself. She has spoken with Jim, who promised to do better. But nothing has improved. Grace hates the thought of going to their boss, but cannot think of another alternative.

Telecommuting, flextime, part-time, and job-sharing have changed how often and during what hours employees come to the office, and even if they come at all. Driven by millennials, this flexible approach to work is what this cohort wants and expects. Older workers like it, too. Depending upon what you do, it is likely your organization does or soon will offer some kind of flexible work arrangement.

Telecommuting

The popularity of telecommuting among employees and employers alike has gained huge traction. Advocates of telecommuting, generally defined as an employment arrangement where employees work at least half of the time at home, point to increased productivity, improved job satisfaction, and saved time and money. Employers benefit by reduced employee attrition as well as substantial savings on costs associated with providing office space.

Telecommuting is not for everyone. Some employers simply do not trust workers to be self-directed and motivated enough to get their work done at home. Some managers feel threatened by the arrangement, wondering if their positions are redundant. And some employees who have tried it reported experiencing loneliness and difficulty in setting clear boundaries between their professional and personal lives.

To achieve the best results, telecommuters should organize their workdays with the same dedication and professionalism they would if their bosses were sitting right next to them. Yes, a home-office worker does have the opportunity to throw in the occasional load of laundry during the day, but generally looks at this workday as he would any other: as the opportunity to produce an excellent work effort in exchange for a paycheck.

MAKING TELECOMMUTING WORK

Create an office space. Start at a designated time, take regularly scheduled breaks, and at the end of the day, close the office door. A business associate of mine says to get herself in the right frame of mind each day, she dresses professionally, leaves the house to get coffee, and returns promptly at 8:00 A.M. to start her day. Make sure friends know your working hours and that, unless it is important, you are not to be disturbed.

Dress the part every day. Even if you don’t see anyone face-to-face, attire still matters. A study from the Kellogg School of Management found that the symbolic meaning clothing holds for people might affect their productivity.⁷ Besides, you never know when you might get called to a Skype meeting.

Communicate, communicate, and communicate! You need never be out of the loop if you keep yourself firmly in it. Use technology to stay on top of others’ minds. And do not forget the telephone. The sound of a human voice has its own immeasurable magic.

Arrange face-to-face meetings with your team and boss. Attend company events and after-hours celebrations. It lets others know you are still very much involved.

On-site part-time and flextime employees will incorporate similar strategies around their schedules, particularly if they do not overlap with their bosses’ and colleagues’ schedules. Punctuality and reliability are key for part-time and flextime workers.

Sharing an Office

When telecommuters eventually come to the office, they need somewhere to sit! Enter “hoteling” and “hot-desking.” The terms are often used interchangeably, but there is a distinction between the two. Hoteling is reservation-based unassigned office seating, while hot-desking is reservationless unassigned seating. Both are designed to provide dedicated, supported office space for those who only need it occasionally. In addition to adhering to the guidelines for open-plan spaces, a considerate hoteler or hot-desker observes these rules.

GUIDELINES

Reserve only needed time and space. Cancel reservations you no longer need or can’t use. Tying up space unnecessarily may impact your ability to secure future reservations.

Introduce yourself. Smile and offer a friendly greeting to those sitting nearby, but take care not to interrupt them if they are obviously busy or concentrating on work.

Keep the space clean. Sanitize all surfaces and equipment with disinfectant wipes upon arriving and departing. Take trash with you when you vacate.

Leave the space as you found it. Store personal items in desk drawers while using the space, and make sure to take them with you when you leave. Do not rearrange or remove furnishings.

Sharing a Job

The concept of job-sharing is increasingly the answer for parents wanting more time with their children, millennials interested in volunteering, older workers looking to design their “portfolio lives,” and employees seeking less stress and more work-life integration. Employers benefit, too, from improved employee engagement and retention, increased accountability and productivity, and the combined intelligence, experience, and perspective of two employees.

Employers can help ensure the success of job-sharing by pairing employees with complementary skills and temperaments, setting clear expectations, and supporting efforts through ongoing feedback and coaching. Job-sharing partners will explicitly define their roles, agree upon reporting methods and frequency, communicate consistently, hold themselves and one another accountable, learn to respectfully disagree and reach consensus, present a unified front, and share both the responsibility for, and success of, their efforts.

The Benefits Buffet

Forty-one year-old Lori was a billing department representative at a large hospital. For 12 years, she had juggled the responsibilities of two children and a Monday through Friday 9 to 5 job, an hour away from home. After work, she’d go grocery shopping and hurry home to make dinner, hoping to spend at least a little time with her young daughters before it was time for bed.

It bothered Lori tremendously that her job made it impossible for her to attend any of her girls’ school plays or soccer games, even though they never complained. (Well, maybe they complained a little.) But the billing department needed staffing during normal work hours, and Lori needed her job. And so when it was announced that the billing office hours were being expanded to 7:00 A.M. to 7:00 P.M. and that employees could now self-schedule their hours, Lori was elated. Lori did not know who was more excited—her nine-year-old daughter or herself! Today, for the first time that did not involve her taking personal or vacation time, Lori was going to see her little girl play soccer. The cookies made, Lori would be there on the sidelines, cheering away and smiling from ear to ear.

Are you a parent concerned about new baby expenses? Facebook has you covered with $4,000 in “Baby Cash.” Worried about how to feed that new baby while traveling for work? Zillow will pay for moms to ship their breastmilk home. Travel bug biting? Airbnb will give you a $2,000 travel stipend to any of its lodgings worldwide. Eager to finally finish (or start) your novel? Deloitte will pay you for four weeks off, for any reason at all, and another three to six months at partial pay for volunteer work or a career-enhancing opportunity.

Employers know perks matter. According to a Glassdoor survey, “nearly three in five (57 percent) people report benefits and perks being among their top considerations before accepting a job, while four in five people say they would prefer new perks over a pay raise.”⁸ The same report indicates that while perks may get key talent in the door, they will not necessarily keep them there. Once on board, a company’s culture, values, senior leadership, and career opportunities are the things that get the best to stay.

Subsidized transportation, company paid meals, dry cleaning services, and closing early on Fridays in the summer are now almost ubiquitous. Depending on the industry and company, today’s work-life smorgasbord might include concierge services, web-monitored day care, adoption subsidies, family leave, prayer rooms, tax preparation assistance, paid volunteer time, free subscriptions, pet sitting, massages, on-site doctor’s visits, nap pods, organic food, wine bars, home cleaning services, marital counseling, vacation money, help for aging parents and grandparents, in-home dinner delivery, international assignments, and paid sabbaticals.

Perks are defining the workplace. In the New York Times article “Housecleaning, Then Dinner? Silicon Perks Come Home,” Matt Ritchel says, “That shifting mind-set—the idea that life and work must be blended rather than separated—is increasingly common.” The article quotes Google spokesman Jordan Newman saying, “What you’ve seen is benefits moving away from free food into thinking more holistically about individuals and their health.”⁹

Amenities cannot make up for bad corporate cultures and, if they are seen as ways to buy employees off, can even backfire. But if the culture is healthy, and everyone is happy, perks can provide a win-win situation.

The New Realities

The 21st century workplace can be disconcerting, even as employers try to make the lives of their employees ever more comfortable. Recognition of new workplace realities is everyone’s responsibility. This starts with accepting the fact that we are under digital and visual surveillance many of our waking moments and virtually all of our working moments. Our commutes are chronicled by tollbooths, stoplights, and highway cameras that take our pictures while recording tolls paid, lights run, and speeds travelled. Mobile phones track our movements. Office parking lots, garages, entrances, and elevators are watched. Walks through security and to desks are logged. And once at our desks, Internet use, email communication, and telephone calls are monitored.

In the Financial Times, Adam Jones writes, “The Spies in the cellar are now sidling up to your desk.” He says, “Offices, in particular, are becoming havens for monitoring equipment with varying levels of intrusiveness.”¹⁰ Among them, he writes, are sensors in name badges that monitor how people move around the office, who they talk to, and even their tone of voice. Workplace occupancy sensors indicate how often desks and meeting places are used.

Organizations defend these and other measures as ways to identify problem workers, maximize resources, and save costs. While few would object to the green benefits of smart rooms turning off lights when unoccupied, we find it disconcerting to realize that these rooms also know exactly when and for how long we are in them. Those seemingly unnoticed late arrivals, long lunches, and early weekend departures are perhaps not so unnoticed after all.

Perhaps this is not a problem in laid-back cultures, but it could be in more formal ones. Debating whether such monitoring is legal (it is), whether the information it provides to employers is useful (it is), whether the atmosphere it promotes feels like “Big Brother is watching you” (it does), and whether employees like it (they do not) are all nonstarters. As with all elements of corporate culture, our options are these: Accept them, reject them and join new ones, or start our own. The surveilled workplace will become more and more the norm.

Success in today’s professional arena requires more than a job well done. Surviving and thriving requires that you accept the realities of the new workplace and manage them as well as possible.

REMEMBER

Everything is different on the other side of “the glass door.” Your agility in adjusting to a new corporate culture will determine your chances for success and happiness within it.

Know that everyday manners matter more than anything else. Good manners define your character and brand. Pay careful attention to the little things. They are huge.

Evolve with and embrace new workspaces. Or start your own.

Respect your colleagues’ work arrangements, hours, and time zones. Consider these before scheduling meetings or otherwise attempting to engage with them.

Know that workplace realities mean that our brands are always on display. Always!