A Revolution in Business

I’m quite young; only 24. I’m also lucky enough to be one of the first “beta” testers in the way that businesses of the future will be run. For example…

1. I live in Nashville, Tennessee (USA)
2. I work for a company based in Melbourne, Australia.
3. My fellow co-workers are based all around the globe.
4. We have monthly meetings via Skype.
5. Because we’re based in so many different locations, we reap the advantage of having staff on duty 24/7.
6. I’ve never met any of my co-workers in person.
7. We wear jeans to work.
8. Watches are optional.
9. To mimic the water cooler, we use a service called Yammer – much like Twitter, but more geared towards companies.
10. My bosses Rick-Roll me more than I care to admit.
11. Instead of building walls around each worker, which delineates what he or she is “qualified” to accomplish, all team members are encouraged to speak up as much as possible.
12. After making a subtle suggestion a couple of days ago, our CEO immediately emailed me to discuss the situation further.
13. I determine my schedule each week.

What This All Means

In short: a new way of conducting business is quickly sweeping the globe. We’re no longer bound by such petty things as location and long-distance phone calls. Try winding the clock back twenty years. In virtually every way, my job would be an impossibility. However, thanks to massive advancements in technology, my iPhone, and free services like Yammer and Skype, I can perform my job quicker, cheaper, and more flexibly than the “suit and tie,” 9-5ers ever could.

Let’s compare. John Suit wakes up in the morning, takes forty-five minutes to drive to work, sixty minutes for lunch, thirty minutes over the course of the day for water-cooler chatter, and finally another forty-five minutes to make his way home. If we find the sum, this comes to 180 minutes – or about 3 hours of “wasted” and unproductive life each day. Considering as much, it’s no wonder why more and more people are looking for an alternative way of getting the job done. The old model simply doesn’t work – especially when you factor children into the mix. Further, it’s easy to forget that the point of life is not to perform the same mindless tasks day-in and day-out.

Why can’t we perform our duties while traveling? Why can’t I relax on the beach and work? Twenty years ago – not possible. Today, the only concern is whether sand might get into my laptop.

It’s for this very reason why books like The 4-Hour Workweek have been such huge successes. We’re craving for a new way of conducting business.

The New Model

The new model is much less about protocol, location, walls, and attire, and more about contribution, comfort, and simplicity. Perhaps twenty years ago, one’s goal was to become like the business man in the fancy suit with his leather briefcase. The irony is that, now, I would consider myself a failure if I was forced to wear a strangling tie every morning. Instead, my heroes wear t-shirts and have messy hair.

The new model recognizes that long hours, time away from family, and unnecessary stress serves no one – and ultimately hinders job performance. Especially in the USA, the number of hours we put into our jobs somehow reflects how responsible and “worthy” we are. To request for more than a week off per year is considered to be lazy. Unfortunately, we have our wires tangled, because this is not what life is about. Don’t get me wrong: hard work is essential, but not at the sacrifice of personal well-being. Instead, vacations should be encouraged by employers.

Though more than vacations, shouldn’t there be a way to intertwine the two? Why can’t we rent a cabin in the mountains and get the job done? Why can’t we book a trip to Disney World and work in the evenings? The answer is: we can! I’m lucky enough to work in an environment where this is possible. It might prove to be more difficult for others, but one thing is for sure: business is 100% moving in this direction: global, flexible, and most importantly, simple. It’s only a matter of when your company jumps on board; and if they don’t…jump ship!

update: I wanted to clarify that I’m not implying that working in an office is a bad thing. Sometimes, it’s 100% essential to work side-by-side with a co-worker on a project. In fact, my company has an office in Melbourne; but I’m fairly certain that it’s different from your standard cubicle, suit and tie, 4 bosses…kind of office — but who knows, I’ve never been there.