Makers vs Managers

The ease of scheduling meetings in the office without consideration for their bigger impact is precisely why they’re such a threat to productivity.

While porting over office culture to remote work can cause the same meeting culture to arise while people work from home, impromptu meetings are easier to suggest when you can walk by someone’s desk and scheduling is easier when everyone is working in the same time zone. 

Open floor plans are justified through their ability to generate collaboration across departments and lead to more innovative ideas. But this idea is largely flawed.

Unfortunately, most workplaces lean into busy open offices where collaboration is overemphasized and individual contribution is sidelined.

Remote work, whether working from home or intentionally opting for a co-workspace of choice, allows makers to flourish. 

Far from the expanse of an open office, individuals can dedicate large blocks of their day to focused work in an environment where a makers’ schedule is the default rather than the exception

• Embrace remote work (in some form): Not every company can transition out of the office permanently, in the short-term or the long-term. In these cases, it’s worth considering a remote-ish option where some employees work in the office while others work remotely. 
• Make a delayed response the default expectation. Employees shouldn’t need an excuse to close their communication apps in order to focus on their work.
• Assess existing meetings. The goal should be minimization, not elimination.
• Reward results, not presence. Reserve praise and promotions for quality work rather than who responds most quickly or is the most visible.