Picture this…
You’re a 40 year old who has worked for your employer for the past 15 years. Over this time, you’ve worked late nights & early mornings while contributing to the growth of past and existing colleagues. You’ve had offers on a table in front of you with double your salary written in the fine print but have turned them down because you wanted to show loyalty. Yet, after 15 whole years of dedicated commitment to your boss and not a single sick day, they sends out an email saying all social media sites are officially blocked and all Fantasy Sports will also be off limits for all employees.
Now, at first glance you might think – No big deal. It’s work.
Or maybe you’ll suggest – It’s Okay i’ll do it on my own time or on my phone. SURE.
You could…
But WHY does your boss have to do this in the first place?
Is it because studies show that Fantasy Football cost employers $1.1 Billion in lost productivity every week of the NFL Season? Or is it because Facebook & Twitter cost the US economy more than $20 Billion in lost productivity a year?
It’s none of those reasons. Those reasons are just excuses.
The real reason is simple.
It’s because they don’t trust YOU.
That’s it. That’s all. That’s the end of the story.
It’s because they don’t believe that you will be able to do your job effectively with these distractions only a tab away. It’s because they feel required to play babysitter instead of being a leader. You see, a real leader doesn’t need to block distractions from their employees for them to succeed. A real leader motivates their employees by showing them how to optimize their time effectively and instilling a sense of ownership for their tasks, projects and priorities.
No company should block social media from the employees. Instead, they should strive to create a better culture that is built around accountability, transparency and trust. If a project isn’t done on time, it’s on the employee. If a project is falling the cracks, it’s communicated. If a project is too much for someone, they can talk about it.
REAL trust between managers and their staff is one of the biggest differences I see in those companies that are thriving and those that are barely surviving.
I’m a big fan of Fantasy Football. I’ve also been lucky enough to work with and for some awesome people who never got on my back for enjoying the game. We had a mutual respect for one another and we knew that at the end of the day, I would get things done and at a high level. That’s trust.
I’ve learned quite a bit over the years from fantasy football.
Here are some of the greatest business lessons I was able to take from it:
Next time your friend tells you their boss is thinking about blocking everyone from social media or Fantasy Sports – Share this post with them. If you want to take a page out of Julian Assanges book, create a fake email and then send it to the boss. I don’t care how you do it but don’t let your employer treat you like a kid.
What are your thoughts? Are you on the side of the blockers? What other sites have you seen blocked that shouldn’t be? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or strike up a conversation on Twitter: @TheCoolestCool.