CHAPTER 1
Virtual Vic
I am extremely excited as I have been offered an executive-level position in a new city. I am entering the prime of my career. After all, I have worked for almost 20 years in corporate America, and I have witnessed its technological transformation. I am now ready to use the latest technology as a way to lead my department in becoming a very productive team. I find myself anxious yet excited about taking on the new responsibilities with my new job. The business world is evolving, and I am in a position to influence how my new company will operate.
I know I am ready for this new job that I have accepted. I am even excited about the new company and the new city I will be relocating to with my family. I am going to be an executive in corporate America!
After kissing my wife and kids goodbye, I headed to the airport to catch a flight to my new destination. After working through security at the airport, I showed my preapproved Transportation Security Administration (TSA) pass to a person who points me to a line. There was a guard standing there who is somewhat overseeing the process, but he simply points to a barcode reader. I placed my electronic boarding pass, which I had preloaded on my phone, onto the reader. I walked through the terminal and arrived at Gate A6; this is where I will board the plane that will take me to my new adventure. My plane was ready for boarding, and I walked into the plane after again properly scanning my barcoded ticket from my phone under a different reader.
After the mandatory prerecorded announcements, I settled in my seat and started to ponder how my first day would be. Will I set the right impression? Will my staff be responsive to me, and will they accept my way of doing business? These are some of the thoughts that ran through my mind. I have read many management books and felt prepared to lead my staff. I plan to use technology to communicate more effectively with my staff and handle the workload. I am confident that using technology will make me more available to my staff and them to me. The use of technology will also allow me to be more productive and efficient. The assignment of tasks, activities to benefit the department and enhance employee growth will be easy to share and we will be able to increase the number of actions and be more effective because of the reliance on technology. I will also ensure that I don’t isolate those who work remotely, and we together will develop a strong and operative work presence. I jot these thoughts down on my iPad, which is connected to my Dropbox. Since I have access to the plane’s Wi-Fi, I can already be more efficient in starting my new job not to mention as a frequent flyer I get the use of Wi-Fi on the plane for free.
After a safe and uneventful flight and landing, I was off to the hotel. But first I had to get my car. This was easy because I could go to the right space where my car was parked as the space number was highlighted on the car rental board that had my name on it. The car already had the keys in the ignition and all the paperwork was completed. As a frequent traveler I got the benefit of a car rental membership. This made things easier, and I was able to even book the rental with the app that was loaded on my smartphone. I never needed to talk to anyone about renting a car. All I needed to do was to drive out of the lot. I thought, as a new executive this is how it should be. In actuality, it is that way for anyone who travels and joins a rental car membership. Car rental organizations have everything prearranged, so you can function as a self-reliant traveler if you are a member.
While I was on the plane I used the hotel app to check myself in. So, when I got to the hotel, I parked in the self-park area for my convenience. Since I had already prechecked into the hotel, the self-park area was the easy choice for me. I walked into the lobby and right up to the precheck-in area where my room key was in a file waiting for me.
After getting my key it dawned on me how I was able to get on the plane, pick up my car, and check into the hotel without needing to interface with anyone. Wow! Technology really had its benefits.
I was tired from the trip and all the excitement, so I figured I better go right to bed when I got to my room. After unpacking I set my wake-up call using the self-service system on the phone in my room. I also noticed a new devise I had heard about in the hotel room. It was a sound machine that could be set to several different settings. These settings would allow you to drift away while thinking you were at a beach, play the waves button; at a camp site, play the water stream button; or at any place you wanted to be while actually in the hotel room via a button for white noise that would block out the world around you and let you be present where ever you wanted to be while actually in the hotel room.
I reflected again on the ease and efficiency that technology has brought to travelers and consumers. In the days before computers and automation, everything seemed to take much longer. I used to have to talk and explain to people what my needs were and get their help in getting me to where I needed to be. With technology I was able to do all of this without anyone else and it seemed so easy. Somehow as easy as it was I had a strange feeling of doubt or loneliness and wondered if I were doing things right. Did I really need someone to help or just be there? The human touch was mine and mine alone.
My mind was racing with thoughts of being so self-reliant, yet, at the same time, worrying with thoughts of whether I did the things I needed to do, properly; after all I did these without the help of others. I thought about a book that I had read a few months ago called Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection written by John T. Cacioppo and William Patrick, where they discussed the invisible forces that link one human being to another. They argued, “Our brains and bodies are designed to function in aggregates, not in isolation.”1 Here I was functioning in isolation and doing things all by myself, yet I felt conflicted, alone empty and wondered if I had someone helping or guiding me, would I be doing things more efficiently? Even though I felt good about doing things that I needed to do to get me where I needed to be, I still had a feeling of loneliness.
After a little unpacking and planning for my first day I laid down on the bed and fell asleep I woke up and felt refreshed. After a shower and getting dressed, I went downstairs to the lobby and was greeted by the front desk attendant, who asked if I needed any help, I politely said, “No,” but the attendant insisted on helping. All I really needed was my car that had been valet parked upon my arrival. I asked for directions because I was worried that just using GPS might not tell me about the local traffic issues. The attendant who got my car gave me detailed instructions about how to get around town and what areas to avoid. I thought to myself without all these details I might have been lost in back allies and stuck in traffic as the GPS might not highlight areas to stay away from. The attendant stopped traffic to let me out of the busy hotel driveway and made sure that I was headed in the right direction.
After a short ride later, I arrived at my new work location. I walked into the main lobby where there was a sign greeting me as a new employee. There were also two company sponsors, one from my department and the other from the human resources department. They were there to help me get acquainted with not only my new surroundings but also the people I would be working with. The sponsors had arranged to have a coffee round table meeting for me and my department. They took me around and introduced me to other people in the building. They told me they arranged a lunch for me; they would provide presentations about the company and arranged a question and answer period, so I could ask questions as needed. They even prepared a list of restaurants I could go to for dinner after my first day. Once I decided which restaurant I wanted to try, they would arrange all the details for me. This included making sure I was greeted at the door by the owner of the restaurant to see if there was anything special I wanted. Talk about a human touch.
The meetings went off without any issues and the people were great. I was very excited about working at this company that seemed to have a culture of collaboration and a focus on people over process. The day ended, and I looked forward to the next day, when I would start my one-on-one meetings with my staff and we would start to set goals for the company.
After a great meal, I went back to the hotel, valet parked my car, and headed into the hotel lobby. I was greeted by an attendant who asked if I needed anything and welcomed me to the area as she knew it was my first day at my new job. I went to my room and received a reminder note about making sure I called my family and to set a wake-up call. There was a knock on my room door and when I answered, I was handed two hot chocolate chip cookies. Again, I was asked if I needed anything and was wished a good night.
I called home and started to tell my wife all the details of the day. I told her about all the people that catered after me and all the help they were providing when I suddenly woke up and realized I was having a dream, actually a nightmare. I had been startled awake by the ringing of the phone. I noticed my heart racing and I was in a cold sweat. I reached for the phone and heard the recording of a woman’s voice say, “This is your wake-up call; enjoy your day.”
I thought to myself, as I cleared my head, thank goodness that was just a dream, so my wife didn’t have to actually hear any of that. She would have so many questions about me interfacing with all of these people and how they wanted to make me feel part of my new surroundings. This was not what I had expected. I had planned to rely on technology to navigate through my first day and didn’t think it was going to be necessary to interface and rely on others.
My wife and I had talked before I left, and we anticipated that with all the technology available I wouldn’t need to interface with too many people, if any at all, since I was so prepared to take care of myself. I didn’t want to bother people and appear like I was not self-sufficient. After all, we discussed that in the age of technology and me coming into the company as an executive, I didn’t want to appear needy. We discussed how I would need time to establish trust with the new people and in doing so I wanted to be careful I wasn’t interfering with their regular routine. Even though I would not be relying on other people, she wanted to make sure I didn’t feel isolated with not interfacing with people. Since we had gone through all the plans the weeks leading up to my arrival and since I was self-sufficient, I would have a level of presence that would not interfere with anyone else’s time. I would create a level of presence without taking time away from anyone. Shaking off the cobwebs from the dream, I refocused on the real plan and the start of the day. I was now ready to get things going.
After a shower and getting dressed, I was off to the office. I went down the stairs and right out the side door to the self-serve parking spot where I had parked my car the night before. Once inside the car, I pulled the directions out of my briefcase, those that I had printed from the computer days before and showed the direct route to the office. I confirmed these with my GPS which was on my smart phone. Neither identified the local traffic problems that I found myself in moments later. I was now in major rush hour traffic jams. Oh, how I wished I had known about the local traffic problems. Not to worry, I thought. I can find a different route later once I am in front of the computer and I can put in different parameters on the GPS direction app to search for alternative directions. After a long delay from what I thought would be my travel time to work, I arrived and parked in the back lot of my new building.
Upon arriving at the office, I walked to the back door that had a card reader and swiped my badge, which had been sent to me a few days earlier. I went up the back stairs and into my new office. It was a large office in the corner of the floor, which had plenty of windows and overlooked the back parking lot.
I hung my jacket up and sat at the nice wooden desk that appeared all set up for my arrival. I saw a note (on the keyboard of my new computer with the large flat screen) that read, If you have trouble logging in, please call the help desk at 1-800 helpdesk. I tried unsuccessfully to log in, so I picked up the phone and called the number listed on the note. I heard a recording that said, “Press 1, if you are a new employee.” I was then confronted with a list of other options. After listening to them, I chose Number 3, which was for log in problems. When I was connected to that line, I was faced again with a series of options. After listening to those, I pressed 3 again and hoped that would get me to where I needed to be. More options and another 3 was my choice. After this choice, it seemed like I would be getting the help I needed; however, as I listened, it seemed as though none of the options fitted my situation, so I pressed 9 to repeat the options. After listening a second time and determining that none of the options worked for me, I pressed 0, as instructed, to get a service person. After some music and an advertisement about how good the help desk service was, I heard a voice that said, “Sorry, no one is here right now to help; please call back,” and the phone went dead.
I was not too discouraged by the events as I had my own iPad available and was able to get on the Internet from there. Once on the system, I was able to get to the online help desk. I sent a note requesting help. I received a note back asking if I was employee 8675309j4r. I responded that I was indeed that employee, and they sent me directions on my iPad that allowed me to log into my new computer. I was now off and running.
My first thought was to see each of my employees, but that was quickly overcome by the idea that instead of having to figure out which one I would see first, it would be better to send an e-mail to all my employees; that way I would reach them all and no one could say they were the last one I talked to. I wanted to treat everyone equally. Yes, treating each of them the same was the way to go. I was concerned that my virtual employees could also feel like I was treating them differently since I couldn’t just walk into their office and talk to them.
I drafted the note; it was short and straight to the point.
Hi, I am in the office; I look forward to working with each of you. I would like you to send me a list of your activities and tasks as well as a presentation of areas you think you can improve on. Let me know if you need anything. I look forward to a very productive time with you and want you to know I am here for you should you need anything.
I hit the send button and then quickly went looking through the e-mail that had piled up in my inbox. I thought how different it was that even before I started I was getting e-mails, not like the old days. Many of the notes were system generated about the policies and procedures for using the computer, and they explained how to manage the load of e-mails and storage capacity. I even had a note about the instant messaging system the company used and how this was recommended as the best way to have internal discussions. I noticed that I had received an immediate response from one of my employees, saying how much they looked forward to the change with my leadership and how they saw this to be a great time for the company.
This person went on to say because they were approved to work from home their work–life balance was so much better, and they thought they were so much more productive. They mentioned how they hoped I wasn’t going to change telecommuting even though the numbers for the group weren’t as good as they had been when they all worked in the office together. This staff member mentioned that the complaints from the clients who stated that they never see the program manager anymore were already being addressed and I don’t need to worry about those at this time. I wondered why this person thinks it is OK not to be seen and the complaints about the lack of presence was something that they could deal with without help or changing their way.
I went back to the e-mails and then started to go through the reports that showed the company’s financial situation. I noticed that several other welcome e-mails started to come in from the other staff members but didn’t stop reviewing the reports to read each of them.
After having my head down in the reports, I finally noticed, by way of my stomach growling, that it was lunch time. I thought how odd that with all the e-mails no one had stopped by my office. I thought about the conversation with my wife about feeling isolated but quickly laughed that off. I reflected on how I had communicated to my staff with the e-mail and thought about how so many people now preferred to send an e-mail rather than do a call or have a face-to-face discussion. I remembered reading a passage by Sherry Turkle in her book Alone Together, where she discussed how the new technologies allow us to “dial down” human contact.2 I laughed at myself for thinking I was feeling isolated. After all I had communicated to my employees and many of them had communicated back to me.
I wanted to finish the reports and start work on my first 90-day plan. I remembered seeing a vending machine in the hallway close to the door I came through several hours ago. I ducked out of the office and headed for the machine. When I got to the machine I realized I only had a few dollars with me. I had forgotten to get more money before I rushed off to the airport the day before. I got some crackers and a soda and went back to my office.
I jumped right back into the reports and studied them for a few more hours before I realized that I had not responded to the e-mails from my employees. I went through a list in my head of the employees who had responded and found that one person had not responded all day. As I was still learning about each of my employees, I pulled up my list, which included their titles. As I worked through the list, I started to draw some opinions about the employees on the basis of their responses and the time it took them to respond to my initial note. When I reached the end of the list and matched each of the employees, I determined that the one employee who hadn’t responded all day might be my problem child so to speak. I matched the name and the title against those I had received notes from and concluded that my director of human resources (HR) was the only employee who had not responded. I thought to himself, not a good first impression this person is making; after all they are in charge of HR and can’t even find the time to respond to my e-mail. I wonder what they are working on that is so important.
After closing up the files and logging off from my computer, I headed for the door. Still no personal visits, and that seemed strange. I did recall seeing people pass my office. I had even saw one of my employees who sent me an e-mail moments after they passed my office, they sent an email rather than stopping in to talk. As I passed the vending machines going to the back stairs to leave, I remembered that I needed to get money. I could do this on the way back to the hotel by stopping by an ATM machine as my bank was a national bank that had ATMs almost everywhere.
As I passed a busy section of town, I spotted an ATM with a drive-up lane right next to it on the corner, so I quickly pulled over and proceeded to the ATM lane. I reached out of the window and punched in my PIN to withdraw cash. As I waited for the request to process, I looked at the almost empty gas tank and was reminded that my car was not full when I picked it up. I thought, don’t people do their jobs anymore? How hard is it to just make sure there is a full tank of gas in the car? I bet it was one of those automatic returns without the prepaid gas and they just returned the car low on gas. Come on, don’t people care anymore? With the window down and the transaction almost complete, I smelled a wonderful aroma. I was also monitoring my e-mails on my iPad and noticed a few coming in from the virtual employees, but none from that (HR) employee who worked at the office. I thought these virtual employees seemed to be working longer hours.
After getting the cash and pulling out into traffic, I couldn’t get the aroma out of my head. After all, the lunch of crackers and soda didn’t really do the trick. I knew I needed to review a few more things back at the hotel so a sit-down dinner was not in the plans. I started to think about the home-cooked meals I had when I was growing up and the delicious meals my wife always made. I decided that is what I wanted—somehow, some way I wanted a home-cooked meal. As I proceeded toward the hotel, I saw a billboard that showed a lovely pot roast and vegetables with a caption that read, “The taste of a home-cooked meal without all the hassle.”
I noticed that it was a grocery store advertisement and started my search for the store. I came upon a gas station a few blocks later and pulled into the self-serve pump. I got out, put my credit card in the gas pump card reader, and filled my car; while waiting for the car to fill up, I happened to look across the street and noticed the grocery store that had been advertised on the billboard. The pump stopped; I returned the nozzle, took my receipt, and returned to the car. I was pleased the grocery store wasn’t out of my way, as I really wanted that home-cooked meal. I pulled across the street to the store, walked in, and noticed a very large section with a salad bar, hot soups, and a variety of cooked meals with the logo like the one I saw on the billboard. I made my selection: hot roast turkey with mashed potatoes and all the trimmings. I even added a salad from the self-serve salad bar and off I went to check out.
I was observing how large the store was and made a note to myself that I thought this would be a good store for my wife and kids to get to know. As I approached the checkout lines I noticed a handful of self-checkout stations that didn’t seem crowed, so I proceeded toward them. I read the directions, placed my items on the scanner, put my credit card in the slot, and was all checked out. Off I went to my car with my freshly made salad and my home-cooked meal, well almost home-cooked meal.
I arrived at the hotel with the bag still hot and rushed through the back door that would lead me right to the hallway where my room was. I set up the office desk not only to do work but for my meal as well. I took a can of soda out of the in-room bar that was set up to make it easier for the traveler; I knew that the soda would be recorded on my bill and began to read my papers while having my meal.
As I read, I reflected back on my first day while also thinking how the meal was good but not how Mom or my wife would have made it. I continued thinking about the job and just couldn’t move past the one individual who didn’t respond all day. I made a note on my iPad to make sure that I pulled this individual’s past performance reviews. I wanted to see if my hunch that this employee might be trouble was true. I hoped that their performance was documented, or was it a typical situation that people would just let things slide and look past things rather than confront the issue? I shut down my computer and put my papers away. I finished up dinner and besides the potential personnel issue that I might have to deal with, I concluded that my first day was a very successful one and looked forward to tomorrow.
I decided to get ahead of this situation with the director of HR so I sent a text message right then. I would show them that there is no time like the present to address an important issue. The text message was straight to the point. Message from 759-555-5478: “Not heard from u today; was wondering if there was a problem? Please get report as called out in my 1st note 8/14/18 by 10 a.m. with any Qs. I look forward to reading it and getting back to u with thoughts.” I sent it with no signature line as I was sure all my employees had my cell number and the director would know who this important note was from. I had included my cell number as part of my signature line when I sent my first note.
I was getting sleepy and wanted to finish the successful day off with a movie that I could get right there in the room; like the soda it would be added to my room bill automatically. A Pay Per View movie would surely end the day on the right note. I decided I would see an old classic, It’s a MAD MAD MAD MAD World, would do the trick, so I ordered that up to start at the beginning of the next hour, which was just 10 minutes away. I could settle in and make a call to my family before the movie started.
I reached for the phone and remembered I needed a wake-up call, so I programmed that in like the day before, remembering the dream (nightmare) I had the night before and took a deep breath, thinking how different my real day was in comparison. I called my wife’s cell number, as that was the best way to reach the family, but there was no answer. Must be in a bad cell spot, I thought, as I listened to the recording: “Hi, if we don’t answer we must be busy, running from one place to another; your message is important so please leave one and we will call you back.”
Honey, it’s me. I am getting ready to settle in for the night and watch a movie before I go to bed. Sorry I missed you. Today went really well; I think I am going to do fine here—the office is nice, and the people seem to really respond to me. The city is nice, there are a lot of neat things to do, and I even had a home-cooked meal; yeah, not as good as yours but it was home cooked. I think you are really going to love this place. I can’t wait for you to see it and I know we will be OK here. There seems like a lot of nice people around. I love you and miss you, Vic.
During the movie I was reminded about how crazy things can get and how the movie started with a major traffic jam very similar to my drive to the office. I fell asleep after the movie.
In this story, we see how Vic made some choices that had a different result than what he had planned and expected. He used technology that might have actually hurt his ability to gain trust with his new employees. He may also have created a judgment about one of his staff that could be totally wrong. By using technology and making himself nonpresent to his staff, he might have isolated them or at the very least isolated himself. Ultimately, what he tried to do was give his staff space to do the right things but that might have created a level of lack of presence that could create a divide between him, the place he works, and the employees he is to lead.
1J. T. Cacioppo and W. Patrick. 2008. Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection (New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company), p. 126
2S. Turkle. 2011. Alone Together (New York, NY: Basic Books), p. 15.