I have an aversion to the sound of a vacuum cleaner. It goes back as far as I can remember, and my physical response is the same as nails on a chalkboard – goosebumps all over my body along with chills and shivers. I was enduring Roomba (my robot vacuum) last week, thinking about all the benefits she brings to my life, and my mind wandered to thinking about how many decisions we make in a vacuum. Roomba is constantly deciding to rotate or turn by bumping into doors, walls, etc. Sometimes we make decisions in a vacuum, where we only see what is directly in front of us, ignoring all the things we might bump into along the way, and dealing with the impact sometime later. Right now a lot of decisions are being made about the future location of your workforce – will they be co-located in physical space, or remotely located in a place of their choosing? Is there a radius of location that applies? And if not, will you be adjusting pay to match cost of living in their new location? The vacuum decision is to create a workforce that is fluid and contributing from any location, especially in response to a survey of your people. The bigger decision is to think about all the things you’ll bump into along that path and get all the dust bunnies at one time!
Vacuuming
About the Author: Judy Hissong, CLM

Judy Hissong is the President of Nesso Strategies. A former law firm Chief Operating Officer, she helps firms become more profitable by advising leaders in strategic and leadership development challenges. Her mission is “world domination for Good.” By creating actionable, lightbulb moments that leaders want to share and spread, she intends to improve the world one person at a time. When she’s not speaking, training and consulting, Judy teaches quarterly online workshops and facilitates Leaders Lab, a monthly video conference that enables small groups of leaders to brainstorm strategies and solutions to work through common issues that keep firms stuck. Learn more at www.nessostrategies.com.