Recently, Yahoo's Chief Executive Officer, Marissa Mayer, issued a memo to all employees of the company. The memo was directly targeted at the company's remote workers (the "work-from-home" crowd). The memo clearly stated that all Yahoo employees will now work from the corporate office or they can opt by resigning their employment with the company.
My concern is that after so long from working from home or working at the office the change in this big will do nothing more than to kick morale right smack in the shins (both of them). While, Yahoo is a "major" player in the Technology and Internet sectors it is not an up-and-comer, this company has been around for quite awhile. Heck, even at one point in their history they were at the top.
Therefore, their way of doing business has worked up until this point. Then again, that may also be the reason they're not number one. However, at this point in time they cannot compete with those organizations are on top. It is because of this fact that I can completely understand that something has to get done but dragging people out of their homes and back into the office is not going to solve the problem.
Yeah, their problems run much deeper.
Now, I am not going to pick and dissect all of the problems that Yahoo is currently facing. What I will pick and dissect is the following:
How can any organization decide that now is a great time to change the entire day-to-day operating model of a major corporation?
I understand that a company needs to ensure that all its players are on the same sheet of music. I also understand the need to keep track of all of the company's employees even to the point of justifying some of the management positions that may have been deleted had not everyone been brought back into the fold.
I do not understand why a set of employees that have been used to not buying gasoline to drive to work, not been buying lunches out, and that have not been purchasing new work attire are now being forced to!
Don't get me wrong, I too would love to work from home and once or twice a week drive to the office. I would love to just walk over to the refrigerator and eat some leftovers for lunch (I know I can take those leftovers to the office, which I do) and I would love to work at home in my PJs. However, that's not my reality. Soon, those remote workers will have to say goodbye to their Work-at-Home reality and Hello to the corporate life.
Let us take a look at some of the "unforeseen" that will most certainly arise when everybody comes back to the corporate coop. Increased spending in infrastructure such as office space, data cables, phone cables, electrical outlets, and so on. Other things that will produce a "long tail" of expense are office furniture, PCs, printers and toner, increased load on the power grid, increased stress on the AC units and other equipment and let's not get into the nightmare of buying copy paper.
FYI, the "long tail" that I am referring to is those items that will be around long after the initial purchase. The example that I love to use is that of the sign that your kids will obviously read even when you know they can't read. You know what I am talking about, the "Free Puppies" sign. As anyone that has ever acquired a "free puppy" knows is that there is no such thing as a free puppy.
There is the mandatory visit to the Vet for the dog to be spayed or neutered, then the annual rabies shot, then the distemper and numerous other shots, along with the special diet food they need, then the scientifically designed regular dog food, and the leash and the collar. Then add to that the countless other things you will be required to purchase throughout the life of the dog (or your sanity).
Certainly, major corporations such as Yahoo have plans for the "long tail" of executing any plan. Right? Yeah, most certainly Yahoo has a plan on how they will cover the long tails!
Now let's turn this on its ear just a bit and ask: What about the small to medium size business?
Let's say your company has a small office and employs several individuals that serve very specific functions within the company but cannot be housed in the main office (due to their location or lack of office space) and thus work from home. Can you really decide to one day call everybody and tell them effective some day very soon everyone will be working from the main office? Can it be done?
Think about it! Just how much retooling, reshaping, and reorganizing can your company has to do in order to effectively accommodate everyone? Can it be done it all?
Then once it's done what then? Do you realize that housing everyone what not the wisest decision? What happens if your company grows and needs to hire new people? What then? Build a new building to house the new hires or let them work from home???
My concern is that after so long from working from home or working at the office the change in this big will do nothing more than to kick morale right smack in the shins (both of them). While, Yahoo is a "major" player in the Technology and Internet sectors it is not an up-and-comer, this company has been around for quite awhile. Heck, even at one point in their history they were at the top.
Therefore, their way of doing business has worked up until this point. Then again, that may also be the reason they're not number one. However, at this point in time they cannot compete with those organizations are on top. It is because of this fact that I can completely understand that something has to get done but dragging people out of their homes and back into the office is not going to solve the problem.
Yeah, their problems run much deeper.
Now, I am not going to pick and dissect all of the problems that Yahoo is currently facing. What I will pick and dissect is the following:
How can any organization decide that now is a great time to change the entire day-to-day operating model of a major corporation?
I understand that a company needs to ensure that all its players are on the same sheet of music. I also understand the need to keep track of all of the company's employees even to the point of justifying some of the management positions that may have been deleted had not everyone been brought back into the fold.
I do not understand why a set of employees that have been used to not buying gasoline to drive to work, not been buying lunches out, and that have not been purchasing new work attire are now being forced to!
Don't get me wrong, I too would love to work from home and once or twice a week drive to the office. I would love to just walk over to the refrigerator and eat some leftovers for lunch (I know I can take those leftovers to the office, which I do) and I would love to work at home in my PJs. However, that's not my reality. Soon, those remote workers will have to say goodbye to their Work-at-Home reality and Hello to the corporate life.
Let us take a look at some of the "unforeseen" that will most certainly arise when everybody comes back to the corporate coop. Increased spending in infrastructure such as office space, data cables, phone cables, electrical outlets, and so on. Other things that will produce a "long tail" of expense are office furniture, PCs, printers and toner, increased load on the power grid, increased stress on the AC units and other equipment and let's not get into the nightmare of buying copy paper.
FYI, the "long tail" that I am referring to is those items that will be around long after the initial purchase. The example that I love to use is that of the sign that your kids will obviously read even when you know they can't read. You know what I am talking about, the "Free Puppies" sign. As anyone that has ever acquired a "free puppy" knows is that there is no such thing as a free puppy.
There is the mandatory visit to the Vet for the dog to be spayed or neutered, then the annual rabies shot, then the distemper and numerous other shots, along with the special diet food they need, then the scientifically designed regular dog food, and the leash and the collar. Then add to that the countless other things you will be required to purchase throughout the life of the dog (or your sanity).
Certainly, major corporations such as Yahoo have plans for the "long tail" of executing any plan. Right? Yeah, most certainly Yahoo has a plan on how they will cover the long tails!
Now let's turn this on its ear just a bit and ask: What about the small to medium size business?
Let's say your company has a small office and employs several individuals that serve very specific functions within the company but cannot be housed in the main office (due to their location or lack of office space) and thus work from home. Can you really decide to one day call everybody and tell them effective some day very soon everyone will be working from the main office? Can it be done?
Think about it! Just how much retooling, reshaping, and reorganizing can your company has to do in order to effectively accommodate everyone? Can it be done it all?
Then once it's done what then? Do you realize that housing everyone what not the wisest decision? What happens if your company grows and needs to hire new people? What then? Build a new building to house the new hires or let them work from home???
Till Next Time,
Dave Guerra
P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.
As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com
Till Next Time,
Dave Guerra
P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.
As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com
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