As an executive leader, I have had the opportunity to initiate several policy changes that have greatly impacted my organization. One such example was when we implemented a remote work policy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Before this policy change, our company had a primarily in-office work culture where employees were expected to be physically present at their desks during regular office hours. However, with the outbreak of COVID-19, it became necessary to shift to a remote work setup in order to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees. The decision to implement a remote work policy was not an easy one. There were concerns about productivity, communication, and maintaining team cohesion while working from home. However, I strongly believed that this change would be beneficial for both the organization and its employees in the long run. The impact of this policy change was significant on multiple levels. Firstly, it allowed our employees to continue working without any interruption, ensuring business continuity during a challenging time. This helped maintain the stability of our organization and provided a sense of security for our employees. Furthermore, the remote work policy also resulted in cost savings for the company as we no longer had to maintain a physical office space or provide resources such as office supplies and utilities. This allowed us to redirect those resources towards other areas of the organization, such as employee training and development.
For instance, I introduced a hiring policy requiring applicants to omit their name, location, and any demographic identifiers from their CVs. This approach aims to minimize bias during the hiring process, allowing us to focus solely on candidates' qualifications, experiences, and aspirations.
I am a proud changemaker. One of the policies I initiated was campaigning for an all female marketing department with a leading multinational in Saudi Arabia. It was a great experience, the first empowerment of its kind in the kingdom and produced a generation of great women leaders. Regards, Mido Feel free to connect on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/midochishty/
As the co-founder and owner of Grow With Meerkat, a digital marketing agency, one of the most impactful policy changes we initiated was moving to a 100% digital model and eliminating in-person client meetings. This was a difficult decision, but it has had significant positive effects on our business. By going fully digital, we were able to expand our reach beyond our immediate geographic area. No longer constrained by the need for face-to-face meetings, we could work with clients anywhere in the world. This opened up a much larger potential customer base for us. The change also greatly improved efficiency and flexibility. Without the time and resources required for in-person meetings, my co-founder Alex and I were able to focus more on delivering great work for our clients. And with a global remote team, we had the ability to collaborate across time zones and accomplish more in a cost-effective way. We knew the transition could be challenging, as some clients really value in-person interaction. Losing that personal touch was a risk to existing and potential new business. But with Alex in another city and our operations already fully remote, becoming 100% digital ultimately made the most sense for our company. While not without downsides, this policy change enabled Grow With Meerkat to scale our impact, improve our operations, and set ourselves up for future success. It was a key milestone in our evolution as a business.
When I ran a nonprofit organization, my team would come to me with problems that arose (all the time - that's what management is!). I instituted a policy where if anyone came to me with an issue that had to be resolved, they had to have at least one idea for a solution. Pushing the job of "solving problems" down to my team really helped in a number of ways. First, it empowered them to think strategically on their own. Second, it meant I could help them decide what solution was best, so we had more of a mangement partnership. Finally, it relieved me of having to think of solutions all the time, especially when my team was best equipped to do it for their particular areas. After we did this for a while, everyone was happier and felt more responsible for their work. It was a win-win situation.
We have implemented a policy that allows female employees to work from home for 3 days during their menstrual cycle. This initiative is aimed at supporting women's empowerment. Additionally, we offer 6 months of maternity leave and an additional 6 months of work from home to help new mothers balance work, health, and childcare. We also provide 15 days of paternity leave, 24 paid days off per year, as well as national holidays. Our employees are entitled to EPFs and medical health insurance.
One of the unique challenges of managing a virtual workforce, we developed and launched a proprietary platform called Practice 360. This platform is a cornerstone of our operational strategy, specifically designed to accommodate the dynamics of our remote staff while ensuring stringent security and data protection. Practice 360 serves as an all-encompassing hub where all work activities are logged, monitored, and analyzed. This allows management and team leaders to maintain a close watch on productivity and work quality, regardless of the geographical location of the staff. The platform is equipped with advanced security features, including end-to-end encryption and regular security audits, to safeguard sensitive legal information against potential cybersecurity threats. Furthermore, Practice 360 incorporates performance monitoring tools that provide real-time feedback and analytics. This enables us to not only track the output and efficiency of our team members but also to identify areas for improvement and offer targeted training and support. By integrating these functionalities, Practice 360 ensures that our virtual teams are as cohesive, secure, and efficient as any traditional in-office setup. The introduction of Practice 360 has not only enhanced our operational efficiency but also significantly boosted our ability to manage remote teams effectively, thus maintaining high standards of client service and data integrity in a fully virtual environment.