The world is undergoing an interesting transition. People being isolated. Negative economic impact. Personal stress, anxiety and financial harships. This is a time that will shape our future in ways we can’t quite imagine. On the other hand there are many positive initiatives rising up on social media. People offering help to the weaker. Companies taking up their social responsibilities and large scale empathy.

Challenging, interesting, worrying.

“Worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing Bubble gum”
– Baz Luhrmann

 

Over the past two years my company grew from a one-man-show to a micro-organisation of four. This corona virus situation is also the first real threat to our business since its conception. It’s the first time our company, our values and people are under fire. This post explores several experiences I’ve had in the past days and dealt with in my personal way.

No Secrets, Fairness

The spread of the virus is fast. Very fast. Yet in human time, a couple of weeks, days even seem long when you’re right in the middle of them. We had just hired our fourth team-member and were looking forward to Test Bash Brighton, an event that which would be a milestone for us. As the days unfurled, the certainty it would be cancelled and the questions of personal safety & planning grew unbearably.

When the event was finally cancelled, it was a trigger, at least for me.
I shared to the team an explanation of our financial situation. That it is stable enough for none of them to worry about their jobs at least for several months. The priority is each of our health, both physically and mentally. Daily, we check up on each other.

Because we are a fully transparent company, they know exactly what kind of money we have on the bank, what’s coming in and going out. I gave it to them straight, as I always have. I enjoy the conversations, the ideas and discussions we have and the mutual understanding it brings.

Stability & People over Greed

People approached me with suggestions to cut their personal wages by a third or even half. They felt they could make do with less and help the company survive longer with these sacrifices.
I refused.
When we started working together we signed a contract. But much more than that contract, I made a pledge to them, that as long as they are comitted to the survival of the company, the company will support them back. If I can not pay them what they were promised in times of trouble I will have failed them miserably.

Maybe I’m too idealistic and/or I’m unaware of my privilege, but when I read that big companies are cutting down wages or forcing unpaid leave I get very angry. Paying people what they are promised is the absolute bare minimum an employer is obligated to do. It may be easy for a small company to point fingers, but in my opinion these things scale. If you’re in trouble within weeks of a crisis, you’ve been consistently taking too many risks, no matter how big or small you are.

Move Forward

Several things aren’t great for the company. We have just hired a new junior, who’s awesome by the way, but who would now need to find a project in a more challenging market. I’ve not been on a project for three months and one of the teammembers told me to get a project to help out with the financial situation. I love the fact that he felt empowered enough to tell his employer to step up his game. I applaud him for it. (If you have need for an experienced remote working Quality Coach/Product Owner or a junior Tester/Front-end Developer, get in touch!)
On top of this, we’re organising three events for ITMatters.pl this year which face uncertainty whether they’ll happen in the first place. Sponsorship is harder to come by, speakers are more anxious to sign up for new gigs, not to mention finding participants. Finding business is harder, but let’s not let that stop us.

After explaining the team our financially stable situation, that they will keep getting their montly wages and their focus now is on their physical and mental health, the last message to them is to be brave. Adapt if necessary, but keep your projects going forward.

My Learnings

Deliberate exploring leads to new insights. I see this whole new situation as a chance to understand myself a bit better, what I want to stand for and what I want my company to be. I’m looking for vocabulary to put under words the ideology that is behind Isle of IT, but I haven’t found anything academic or helpful yet.

So in my own words:
I imagine a company of 6 people in total, not more. People who’s responsibility is the sustainability of the company and their own selffulfillment. A place that is fully transparent, fair, open-minded and progressive. Where people listen to each other, more than they speak. Where everyone’s peculiarities, skills, quirks and special powers are valued and openly appreciated. If you still think this is too fluffy and not competitive business-wise, I’m happy to have a chat with you.

I personally think this is the future. That more people will become fed up with the powerlust, greed and fear that governs many big companies and that they’ll build their own micro-businesses that feel more like a family than a machine.

It certainly is a future I’m building for my own and those who want to be part of my family.