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Ponder this: How do you work best?

Have you ever worked somewhere where they asked you that question and wanted to make the environment and schedule conducive to producing your best work? On the other hand, have you ever worked somewhere where they didn’t ask you that question and also didn’t seem to think it mattered?

Having worked in both settings, I can tell you firsthand what a difference the former makes for productivity, morale and culture. When I joined the Fishhook team, one of the first things I noticed was how awesome the environment is – from our 100-year-old farmhouse where laughter and creativity fill the halls to the fun, relaxed and relational vibe of the Fishhook team.

Early on, I told Evan how much I loved having my own office with a door and a window (3 things that I’ve gone without in past work settings and greatly wanted/needed), and he said he’s a big believer in doors and windows; people deserve the privacy of a door when they need it and a window like they need oxygen. It’s just another way to respect the fact that people are adults, and we should treat them like adults. You can also gauge a lot about the level of trust within an organization through these simple yet important offerings.

At Fishhook, we have a core hours environment, meaning we have set days of the week that are in-office days, so we can have team meetings, collaboration and such (unless we’re off-site with clients). Otherwise, we have the freedom and flexibility to work off-site when and where we want – it could be at a coffee shop in the morning, somewhere outside in the afternoon or the comforts of our couch at night. How’s that for flexibility? 

Some Fishhookers work early in the morning and finish mid-afternoon, so they can be home with their kiddos. Some like to mix work and play, working in spurts sprinkled throughout the day, while others are night owls getting much done with Netflix on in the background. And the great part is we aren’t asked to change how we work best! We’re empowered to be who we are while we get our meaningful work done and balance work and life at the same time.

So what kind of work environment have you created? What about work schedules? What would you change about both so that you and your team could enjoy them more, and what would you keep the same? 

We created a couple checklists to help you assess the effectiveness of both in your setting. Our bet is if both are awesome, you’ll have a happier, more engaged and more productive team. Click below to download!