In a media industry first, MediaCom has announced the launch of Project Blend; a unique talent management initiative that shies away from the traditional media industry approach to working. Rather than focusing on the amount of hours workers spend at their desk, Project Blend will allow MediaCom to instead measure success based on its employees’ output and delivery work. According to research conducted by global management consultancy Hay Group, more than two-fifths of UK employees feel they don’t have a good balance between their work and personal lives, and only half believe that their employer is sensitive to their need to find a balance between the two.
Josh Krichefski
For over a decade, the focus for businesses has been on creating a “Work-life’ balance, but for MediaCom, careers today are often on an equal footing with other aspects of people’s lives and should therefore be introduced as an integral part of their life “Blend.” Mediacom is working with Anna Rasmussen, the founder of the Open Blend Method, to support Project Blend. The Open Blend Method works by supporting a progressive collaboration between a leader and their individual team members. The software facilitates interactive coaching sessions focused entirely on an individual’s unique work life blend. In improving the happiness and engagement of its workforce, MediaCom aims to increase overall business effectiveness.
MediaCom has announced the launch of Project Blend; a unique talent management initiative that shies away from the traditional media industry approach to working
The tool is being used to open conversations between employees and their line managers about their life blend. It allows workers to define which elements of their life, including aspects of work and career, mean the most to them and how they currently rate their happiness in each area. Along with their line manager, they then use the tool to talk through what “Good” looks like, where they are now, what challenges they’re facing and how they can improve their happiness scores at work. The initiative was initially rolled out to a group of mothers and fathers at MediaCom who are senior leaders within the business. It has since been rolled out to the wider MediaCom population in recognition that it isn’t just parents who have a need to find the right blend.
Anna Rasmussen
Rasmussen said: “People can be high achievers in their work while also being great parents, or carers, or in a band, or semi-pro triathletes! Just because they want to be successful at work does not mean that they need to drop other aspects of their life. Today people want more from life. They want life experiences, not just careers. It’s important to understand that every individual is different; they want and need different things from life in order to reach their potential. To create a truly engaged workforce, businesses need to throw away the old notion of a work-life balance and cultivate a life blend amongst their employees.”
The tool is being used to open conversations between employees and their line managers about the balance between their work and personal lives
Josh Krichefski COO at MediaCom, added: “We live in a digital world that is always on, where people don’t think twice about checking emails or completing work outside their office hours. Yet most people feel guilty about doing any non-work activity during the day. In this modern world, we need to move away from the rigidity of 9-5 hours and stop focussing on office face-time. Employers should trust employees to manage their work and deliver an excellent service for their clients, without asking them to compromise on other important aspects of their life in doing so. We should be more flexible about when and where people work so that people can achieve their different responsibilities and aspirations in life, including career development. Project Blend is a great way to open conversations between leaders and their team members to achieve this in a tangible, focussed way.”
