April 26, 2022

201: Developing a Work Ecosystem That Works for Everyone with Emily Esterly

31 minutes

Organizations across the globe are reconsidering how, when, and where work gets done. As offices reopen and employees desire more flexibility, now is the time for teams and organizations to design a work ecosystem that meets today's needs while setting people up for the future.

Today’s guest is Emily Esterly. Emily has nearly 15 years of experience in roles spanning HROD, corporate strategy, economic development, workforce development, and corporate sustainability. At GOJO, her HROD and Enterprise Strategy roles have focused on advancing innovative ways of working across its highly collaborative networked organization to ensure the company stays adaptive as it grows in a highly complex and ever-changing world. Her aim is to ensure both teams and individuals at GOJO reach their full potential, thriving personally and professionally, and delivering on the company’s Purpose of Saving Lives and Making Life Better out in the world.

Emily and I talk about the new Work Ecosystem that GOJO is rolling out to address new ways of collaborating, flexible work, and bringing the organization into the future.

Members of the Modern Manager community get a detailed diagram that explains GOJO’s work ecosystem. Get it, along with dozens of other guest bonuses and episode guides, when you join the Modern Manager community.

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Read the related blog article: A New Work Ecosystem for the Future

KEEP UP WITH EMILY

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gojo-industries/

Website: www.gojo.com

Key Takeaways:

Organizations need to design a work ecosystem that combines remote and onsite workers so that people thrive and work is done effectively.

The four role types to consider are: mostly onsite, mostly virtual, blended weekly, and blended monthly. These roles are based on what an employee needs in order to complete their work.

Mostly onsite workers need access to special equipment or facilities, and spend 80% of their time in the office.

Mostly virtual workers spend 80% of their time working remotely.

Blended weekly workers need to be in the office 40-60% of their time to partake in important relationships building activities and work that needs in person collaboration or oversight.

Blended monthly workers go to the office a few times a month for ‘moments that matter’ such as project kick offs and relationship building activities.

Assume that meetings will always include at least one remote participant. Design meetings as hybrid from the start even if you are hoping it will be entirely in person, just to be prepared.

Think about what types of equipment and interactions will make the hybrid meeting a success. Consider using screens, videos, audio, and activities that will create an inclusive experience for both in person and remote participants.

An effective work ecosystem begins with improving daily digital collaboration tools. Use live shared documents, chat, and survey tools rather than defaulting to meetings all the time.

As you collaborate more asynchronously, you build a case for hybrid work schedules and effective remote teaming.

Additional Resources:

GOJO Work Ecosystem Blog Post

GOJO Work Ecosystem Video

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By Mamie Kanfer Stewart

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