“Well, He’s Not Going to Get Very Far”

What a perfect example of the benefits of open communication. Sarah was a skilled enough boss to make Zach feel comfortable challenging her. Zach was an engaged enough employee to actually discuss something that was bothering him. There are so many ways that this could not have happened.<p>This makes me really want to work with that team.

How many companies that tout flexible work schedules actually allow them? In my mind, a flexible work schedule should mean somewhere in the realm of 35-40 hours a week, with those expected <i>occasional</i> 41-60 hr spikes before a deadline.<p>When I talked to a recruiter recently, though, I asked them about their flexible work schedule. What they said was kind of horrifying: "Oh yeah, we're TOTALLY flexible! When there's a deadline due, we all work 60+ hours, but there are SOME weeks when we <i>literally</i> struggle to make our required 40."<p>Like, what? A flexible work schedule now means choosing between unpaid overtime and MORE unpaid overtime? GEE THANKS!

A culture where everyone has to be in the perfect 1%, or where everyone is informing on everyone, or where people are very actively competing for status and territory, is also one where nobody will show vulnerability or speak up or tell the truth, except as it seems strategic to do so.

I refer you to Celine's Laws, #2: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celines_laws" rel="nofollow">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celines_laws</a><p>"Communication is only possible between equals". Equality is a perception, but the one with the power to punish inevitably decides who is equal, and who isn't. The safe bet if you're in the inferior position is to assume that rocking the boat will get you in trouble.<p>That's why everyone hates when bosses make jokes about firing them. It's only funny if you know it's a joke, but employees can never be sure.

Values and culture are defined by actions. If a company has to spend a lot of time telling its employees that they are valued, that usually indicates that the message is trying to counteract some stronger implicit message based on actions. It's like hearing "we value your business" while you're on hold for support. If they actually valued your business they would take the effort to provide better support. When I file a ticket with my VPS provider there is communication going on almost instantly and typically the issue is resolved within a matter of minutes, they don't have to tell me that they value my business, they show it. And I spend less money with them than I do with my mobile provider or my ISP.

&#62;understand how little faith and trust people have in us when we stand up at a meeting and say “we believe in our culture”<p>Because time and again employees have to read bs that makes their eyes bleed and keep a straight face. The netflix "we are the A++ team" slide is another example.<p>No doubt they are a great team, but all of their workforce deliver a perfect A score over all the worklife, no matter if they get ill, have children or broken hearts?

What is TAGFEE? Is that some SEOmoz-specific term? I found other places they'd used it but no actual description in 2 seconds of googling.

It's a bad idea to put a photograph of keys on-line, particularly in such a way that they can be matched up with a real-world identity. And the higher-profile you are, the worse an idea it is, I imagine.<p><a href="http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2011/07/duplicating_phy.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2011/07/duplicating_ph...</a><p><a href="http://www.news.com.au/national-news/killer-escaped-prison-after-being-issued-picture-of-master-key-to-all-locks/story-fncynjr2-1226629878591" rel="nofollow">http://www.news.com.au/national-news/killer-escaped-prison-a...</a>

Next question: Why did Sarah have Kenny's keys?

"Assumption is the mother of all screwups"; and yet it is so natural to all of us.<p>Salute to Sarah for building an excellent open culture and Zach's courage to speak out. And yes, 'trust' is critical in organizations. Good story.

Nice story, but moz.com really needs to "body { color: black }" with that background of theirs.

Moz circle jerk.