Work and Zen

By Veronica Schmidt

Friday 1st March 2002

Work-life balance? Load of nonsense, says Software Images boss John Bishop III.

Pop into the offices of Software Images on a Friday and you might well find model aeroplanes gliding through the air, a few women dressed in their nightclubbing gear and a guy wearing an ice hockey uniform, lugging around a puck.

It doesn't look like a company that turns over $20 million a year, and while general manager John Bishop III is there it probably never will. With spiked, peroxided hair and a motorised scooter for transport, this 38-year-old isn't a typical manager, and his human resource strategies are just as unconventional.

Passionate Fridays - where staff dress or bring props inspired by something they love - is just one of his creative, and at times off-the-wall, human resources devices. Follow the corridor on your left and you'll find the sales manager playing Nintendo. Take the stairs to the lower level and there's a freshly raked Zen garden, the sand recently ploughed into rainbow patterns by an enthusiastic staff member. On the tour there will probably be a few empty desks, abandoned by staff in favour of the golf course.

No wonder Software Images employees seem happy and staff turnover is just 10% (exceptionally low for this industry). But apparently employees aren't slacking - productivity is also impressive. The 14-year-old company, which manufactures and distributes digital media, has grown from a one-office, $1 million-turnover operation five years ago to a company with offices in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and 2001 turnover of $18 million. Clients include Telecom, Vodafone and WestpacTrust, and Bishop estimates growth for 2002 will be 190%

Bishop's human resources philosophy stems from a belief that work-life balance is a fallacy. Instead, he reckons work and life blend into one - he might think about work on Saturday while he's surfing, or think about home when he's at work. Similarly, staff aren't expected to leave their personal life at the office door; instead, he invites them to bring it in and says the spin-off effects are dramatic. Openness about their lives makes teams closer, fights anti-management sentiment and wipes out the need for lies. You don't need to pull a sickie to spend a day on the golf course; you just let the boss know you'll be taking time off and making it up later. How can you resent a boss who lets you juggle your hours so you can play golf?

Wandering through the office it becomes clear that Bishop's actions mirror his theory. Staff, many of whom are immigrants, tell stories of starting at Software Images as a packer and moving through the ranks. Along the way, they say, the company has not just helped their career but offered support settling into a new country. They offer memories of Bishop helping them buy a first house, new car or planning a trip home.

Add fun to the touching stories, and Bishop reckons you're on the right track to a happy team.

While it all sounds too good to be true, there is a harder side to Bishop and Software Images. One of the company's most important policies is ensuring everyone knows what is expected of them. "We work on a POPO basis," Bishop says. "Perform or piss off." All staff have individual and team targets and are rewarded with -bonuses when goals are met. To ensure departments pull together, a percentage of the company's profits are split and given to employees. On a monthly basis, Bishop watches staff work frantically towards the company's goals. "We have a whiteboard up with the goal on it and how far off we are. By the end of each month everyone is working hard. You can see them all running in the same direction, with the same goal - to meet budget."

And with each member of his team expected to meet targets, Bishop says, the freedom he allows his staff rarely gets abused. "Say someone wants to go off and play golf for an afternoon. As long as they run it by me and meet their performance goals, what difference does it make if they do their work at 2am instead of during office hours?"

On any given weekend between 20% and 30% of the staff will be at the office, proving the POPO message has got through. That pressure, according to Bishop, is not just helping the business but comes back to his core idea of making people happy. "What do people really want?" he asks. "They want their work to be easy, fun and have purpose."

And it seems the happiness Bishop has dispensed has earned him respect and consideration from his staff. Outgoing employees often give six months' notice and one ex-employee gave an astounding year's notice. That employee, along with plenty of others, regularly sends the company postcards.

Bishop's 10 commandments

Do:

Get to know your teams as people, both in and outside the workplace. Take an active interest in their lives, passions and hobbies.
Be flexible in building reward schemes, acknowledging both team and individual successes.
Communicate, communicate, communicate. Keep everyone in the loop.
Keep work easy, fun and with a purpose.
Celebrate success as a company, not just among individual project or management teams.

Don't:

Make false career promises, especially if the employee's development is not solely your decision.
Violate confidentiality. If a staff member asks to have a private conversation, make sure it stays private.
Support an environment of internal politicking.
Reward mediocrity.
Build unnecessary hierarchy.

Veronica Schmidt
vschmidt1@hotmail.com

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