JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon sparked controversy by saying “don’t give me this s–t that work-from-home-Friday works” during an employee town hall. The comments have gone viral, and the company has announced a return-to-office (RTO) mandate for all employees, which many find unrealistic.
Dimon’s views underscore his commitment to bringing all employees back to the office, despite the challenges this poses for those with small children or homes far away from the office. However, this decision reveals a lack of basic management skills, as it relies on “managing by line of sight,” where employees are judged based on their presence in the office.
This approach assumes that anyone working remotely isn’t really working and neglects to consider alternative scenarios. It also fails to provide clear objectives or benchmarks for measuring productivity, leaving employees to guess about their performance.
The company’s RTO mandate has exceptions for certain teams whose work can be easily measured, but for many employees, it means they’ll need to demonstrate their productivity by simply showing up. This approach is reminiscent of “management 101,” where objective metrics and clear goals are essential for fostering a productive workforce.
As the company navigates this policy change, it’s crucial that JPMorgan finds alternative methods to measure employee productivity, such as setting clear objectives and benchmarks. Until then, thousands of employees may be left wondering what their employers expect from them.
Source: https://www.inc.com/minda-zetlin/jpmorgan-ceo-jamie-dimons-diatribe-about-working-from-home-is-the-dumbest-thing-ive-heard-all-week/91150610