dispatches from the new world of work

Location, Location, Location

No, it's not just real estate. Despite cyber-this and virtual-that, "location" remains perhaps the most under-rated variable-tool in the boss's kit.

Last week in New England was mostly devoted to "Theo's return"—that is, the return to the Boston Red Sox of recently dis-affected "Boy Genius" General Manager Theo Epstein. One of the things that had most irked Epstein, and prompted his earlier departure, was that in his mind the business side of the franchise was given more consideration than the player side. In the negotiation for re-entry, a host of changes were made. One of which was, per the Boston Globe: "Before, baseball operations was situated in the basement. Now, it will move upstairs and join the rest of the business operation." As I said, this was hardly the whole story, but it was/is a reminder that such stuff matters. I'm a design freak. So where does the design group, and especially the chief designer, nest? Is design's Main Man/Woman on "executive row" with finance and marketing, or on the "7th floor," light years from the Big League action? In my experience, the answer to these questions is the answer to a lot of the "strategic direction" issue. In days gone by, the HR folks lived planets away from the Big Boys. As talent takes a front seat, the HR chief is within screaming distance of the power players.

Etc.

One implication of this is that it really is worth going to the mat politically for the political position/space you think you deserve. Or the opposite: If you are up to something subversive, getting several galaxies away from the power center is (professional) life & death—in my case, In Search of Excellence only passed conception because Bob Waterman and I were 3,000 miles from "corporate" HQ at McKinsey (and even that was almost not enough). For the Big Cheese, pouring over space design, the smallest details thereof, is worth the effort times 100 at times of transformation. Want to underscore innovation? The product-developers and their boss should be brought in from the cold.

Think about it.

Tom Peters posted this on 01/30/06.

Comments

Well, yes and then again no... I think you're right in that an office in the C-suite is highly symbolic, especially in times of change, and it shows that the business thinks a function is important. But what really counts is whether the business, especially the CEO, then walks the talk. If s/he does, then it doesn't matter where the incumbent sits - everyone knows the CEO will involve his top team.

I used to work in a business where, "people are our most important asset." After burning through 2 HR Managers, the CEO decided the new one could move from a crappy ground floor cubbyhole near the admin office to the office next to him + have an assistant. He launched a study into why sales people were leaving in droves and a structured training programme for them, none of which he took much notice of once launched and which floundered.

Symbolism without substance never works!

Posted by Mark J Foscoe at January 31, 2006 2:32 AM

Having worked myself for a foreign industrial design firm in Taipei, I would like to recommend that they stay away from being close to the top brass.

Designers design, that is what they do best. Top brass make strategy, policy and wield political weight; that's what they do best. Particularly in the case of the creative people, keep them apart from the daily interference. Let them listen to the maket, something they do much more through design magazines, TV programs, and other trendsetter channels, not the kind of environment you would typically meet the CEO, CFO or COO c.s.

There's even a useful tension - call it disdain if you like - between the two. Designers are creators, artists and trendsetters. Top executives are trend followers or consolidators. Each speak a different language.

Tom, why could you work on your In Search Of Excellence project? Because, you were far away enough from the daily grinding policy. Look what happened to the successful Motorola Motorazr phone. The development was kept away from the usual bureaucratic burden and line of decision making. The product has become an outright hit!

I'm not saying that the two sides should be isolated from each other. They can listen to and learn from each other in the true spirit of both being key elements to the success of their organisation. You can achieve that in many more ways than snuggling each other to death.

Posted by Chris Schreuders at January 31, 2006 11:03 AM