Cartesian Merger

This week I helped one of my clients hire their first employee. The women they hired is a perfect match for the organization and I look forward to working with her. During her interview the new hire asked several questions about the work culture within the organization, her questions came out as more of a cautious inquiry - What days and times she need to work? If there were weeks when she worked less then her contract 20 hours was that ok, could she work more hours if needed other weeks?

Much to her surprise and pleasure when she had asked her questions my face lit up, I might even have giggled. I immediately told her to relax. What is important to the culture of this organization and to me is the work gets done with excellence, in a timely manner and that the people doing it love what they do.

I have file folders full of templates for work plans, paper and digital systems for project and time management which provide the architecture for working in a more organic and individualized fashion.

This management style plays to individual strengths - some of us work better in the early morning, some of us (ME!) crash hard at 3pm and need to get out and get some exercise before returning to work, others like to work in the evening, standing up at their desk, working with music or without. Thinking about the merger of work and life rather then the separation of work and life provides flexibility, creates a more productive work environment, encourages creativity and in the end the product, whatever that may be, is better for it.

Dennis Crowley the CEO of Four-Square was interviewed on Marketplace a few days ago and I love what he had to say about going to work, it is a feeling a share and the type of work environment I help my clients create.

Crowley said, "I never think of it as going to work everyday. It's just, hey this is where I go to do the stuff I like to do."

The Five P's.

This week has been looming in my icalendar for some time - new client meetings, lots of drive, a weekend of event planning. Before the calendar rolled into October I was prepared for this one to be a beast.

When I see these weeks coming I take extra time to get as much done in advance as I can. This may sound crazy but that includes proactively cleaning the house, freezing dinners and scheduling in blocks of time to exercise. After many of these weeks managed by gross consumption of Red Bull, whatever food happened to be in the office and intermittent bouts of sobbing a bathroom, I've learned how to pace myself.

There is however one variable that I can't solve for - other people.

Last night my cell rang, long after any reasonable definition of "business hours", even if we are talking - I'm on the east coast and you are calling from California, forgetting while you are still in the office, I am in my pj's drinking a glass of Pinot.

I let the phone go to voicemail. This is a huge step for me but an essential one for keeping my sanity, preserving sleep and my marriage.

It was dark out as I got ready to leave the house this morning to sneak in a hike, with my friend Wendy, before I dove into work. In the car headed to the trail, I listened to the voicemail.

In short the message was a semi-frantic cry for help from a collaborator who's piece of the puzzle was a mess days before the project deadline. I spilled the story to Wendy sighting the inquires I made over the last few weeks to check on the status of this piece of the project and the obtuse answers I received.

Wendy stopped me mid-sentence and said, "This is your week, poor planning on their part is not an emergency for you." (One of my all time favorite quotes). "And maybe you should share the five P's with them."

I immediately thought back to Kindergarten trying to recall the five P's, all I could come up with was a single P and three R's.

"I give up. What five P's?"

Her husband's five P's (a former Marine so also the US Military's five P's)

Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance

The situation is not quite right to share this advice with last night's caller but it is certainly worthwhile wisdom for your personal life, professional life and everything in between.