On this episode of The Shape of Work podcast, our guest is a Technologist and Innovator leading high-growth B2B SaaS companies, Joe Karbowski, CTO at FM: Systems that provides cloud-based workplace management solutions.
Serial entrepreneur Joe knows a thing or two about running successful technology companies. He founded a bootstrapped software company, a VC funded software/SaaS company and a division of a SaaS public company and brought them to a successful exit.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
1) Re-focus, rationalization, and restructuring of the workplace: remote and hybrid
Mr. Joe Karbowski gave some excellent insights about the organization’s efforts to re-focus, restructure, and rationalize the entire workplace.
He gave an example about changing trends pre and post covid pandemic. Before covid hit the world, one out of thirty people was working remotely. That has risen to one person out of three presently.
This is a massive indication of how people are going to work in the future. On hybrid working, he said we can not shift entirely online. People working in fields as facility management need to visit premises physically. So, hybrid working is required.
Though there is conflict on the structure and consensus. Employees ask for 3 to 4 days whereas employers want 2 to 3 three days work-from-home.
2) The critical role of facilities management
Facility management people are getting the adult’s table’ (he refers to thanksgiving).
Facility management has become crucial during and post-pandemic. Before the pandemic, they knew who would come, when, and how many were at the office. There is a high quotient of unpredictability with sudden lockdowns, new waves of covid, and other factors. There is a break-- inconsistency. In addition, stationery, system, and other operational challenges.
3) Unrolling of the hybrid work model: collaborative future of our workplaces
Mr. Joe Karbowski opined that a hybrid working model is essential to keep the human aspect in the workplace.
People meeting on video platforms lack personal touch. They can work from anywhere for anyone globally. This trend has led to significant resignations that the world is experiencing post-pandemic.
Collaborative work culture is indeed the future of our workspaces.
4) What it means to think more from the perspective of a leader than an entrepreneur?
Mr. Joe Karbowski is a believer in OKR and objective data. Management is an organizational process to get things done. Leadership is to encourage people to optimize their productivity. There should be some amount of personal involvement and collaborative work to learn and grow as an organization.
Follow Joe on LinkedIn
Produced by: Priya Bhatt
Podcast host: Abhash Kumar