Jackie Marr

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Social media seems to be everywhere, yet there are many misconceptions and myths about how and when to use it in the workplace. If you are unsure, ask yourself these questions: Do you feel the pressure to use social media in your workplace? Do you feel equipped to advise your leaders on the best ways integrate these new tools into...

The New Social Workplace: Getting Ahead of the Curve

The article reviews the book "Mastering the Hype Cycle: How to Choose the Right Innovation at the Right Time," by Jackie Fenn and Mark Raskino.

Mastering the Hype Cycle How to Choose the Right Innovation at the Right Time

Bucking a popular trend as well as evidence that working from home increases employees’ productivity, Yahoo is eliminating its work-from-home option. Citing a need for more interaction and communication among employees, Director of HR, Jackie Reses, said in a statement “Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people and impromptu team meetings. Speed and quality are often sacrificed when we work from home.”In other companies, the trend is to increase workplace flexibility. Young employees expect it, and companies embrace it, not just  as a retention factor, but as a way to save significant money on  real estate, reduce their carbon footprint, and remove the stress of commuting.  At Aetna, where 47 percent of employees work remotely, the company has saved $78 million in real estate costs, according to a spokesperson.Marissa Mayer, Yahoo’s new CEO and a new mother, recently paraphrased football coach, Vince Lombardi, when describing her life’s priorities.  “God, family, and Yahoo, in that order,” she said when asked what mattered most to her now.  The gap between that statement and the new policy at Yahoo may disappoint those who expected Mayer to champion work/family issues for women.Professor of Management, John Sullivan, said in a New York Times interview, “If you want innovation, then you need interaction.  If you want productivity, then you want people working from home.“ Yahoo’s highly visible policy change will no doubt prompt other companies to weigh that tradeoff.

Jackie Marr

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