In July 2013, I posted my workplace manifesto on a Tumblr blog I had back then. It was a list of five priorities I wanted for a current – or future workplace; some of them felt a bit far-fetched or maybe even utopian, so how do they stack up today?
The Manifesto
Without further ado here is the manifesto:
- Be able to work on projects that excite you!
- Be able to put in the hours to finish the project and NOT be bound by the project’s price-tag.
- Be able to work when and where you are motivated, even if this is at nine o’clock in the evening or in a café or at home.
- Be able to choose the right technology for the project, and not the other way around.
- Be able to work with the right set of tools on the job and not the workplace “default” that has been decided by IT or any other who have no idea of what works best for you.
When I wrote this manifesto, I worked as a consultant and solution architect at Creuna, working on various enterprise solutions often limited by its contract. I was frustrated about the limitations to how many hours I could spend on a specific project, dictated with a fixed-price-contract, and the types of projects I had to work on; not all of them motivated me. I worked on predominantly CMS-solutions, so new projects were described as either a Sitecore – or Episerver project, not by the site’s actual goal. Also, I had not yet become a dad, so the restrictions of a traditional nine-to-five job felt very limiting.
Back then, the only way I felt I could accommodate the priorities described in the manifesto was to start my own company and have it be the guiding star for how I wanted to work with clients and projects.
Now 7 Years Later
So what happened since then? The same year I started working for the LEGO Group, and I have been working there ever since in the capacity as an architect and manager. Looking at the manifesto today, I have to say that I am actually in a position where some of the priorities are already met.
The technology stack has not always been flexible from the start. Still, the organization has grown a lot since then, moving away from top-down decisions on technology platforms to have the teams decide for themselves.
Working for a global company and having colleagues spread across the globe, my workplace is flexible by design. Sitting in a café participating in meetings or collaborating through the wire is not an issue; it is a requirement. My demands for a work-life balance has, however, changed since I created the manifesto. Being a dad, it is more important to me to know when I am at work and when I am off duty.
Working at an enterprise-sized company enables new opportunities if the current work does not excite me; this was true when I worked at eBay Classifieds and is undoubtedly also true at my current workplace.
Which Priorities Are Not Met?
I am still subject to company defaults, but they are luckily broad enough so that it is possible to choose a setup that meets my needs, so this is not an issue.
Fixed-priced or budget-bound projects will always exist, and for good reasons, the critical part is how we work within these boundaries. A great approach is working with a prioritized list of features, potentially starting with implementing the minimal viable product (MVP) and then building on top of that. I primarily work on products and not as much on projects; if I am working on projects, they are short-lived and are mostly proof of concepts.
What Would My Workplace Manifesto Look Like Today?
As mentioned, my priorities have changed a lot since I wrote the manifesto. Since then, I have become a dad, and now my time is focussed much more on family-time than it used to be. I need a bit more structure in my life for things to work out, which means a time-slot for when I work and a time-slot for when I am together with my family. Also, I probably value a lot more working from home and a flexible workplace where switching or moving those time-slots around is not an issue.
So here is a new take on my workplace manifesto:
- Be able to work on projects that excite you!
- Be able to work in a prioritized fashion, where the most important thing comes first.
- Be able to work from home when needed, and have a flexible workplace that accommodates family time.
- Be able to choose the right technology for the project, and not the other way around.
- Be able to work with the right set of tools on the job.
I have to say this is something my current job fully meets.
Why Do Your Very Own Workplace Manifesto?
I have used the process of creating a workplace manifesto to evaluate if my current workplace fits the description of my dream workplace. I have also used it as a dialogue-tool with my direct reports at our 1-1s.
Maybe your workplace does not match your workplace manifesto but, ask yourself, what I can do to reach that goal. It might not require a change in scenery (a new job, client, or project), but it could also be a change of your ways of working, and potentially work with your manager or colleagues getting closer to that goal. And be aware, change takes time, so this is something you should work actively towards, but do not expect it to happen overnight.
I happily work at a place that matches my workplace manifesto, do you?