The pace in a marketing firm can be crazy. With media buyers, account people, bloggers, social media types, creatives and strategists, the work load is at times overwhelming and the deadlines can be intense.

At our company, we have a wonderful thing called “Flexible Fridays.” This is a work-where-ever-you-want-day. While we always have the option to work offsite, due to meetings and internal project sessions, we are pretty committed to standard office days, Monday through Thursday.  On Friday’s, the physical office is usually empty. Me? I work at home. It is the one day that I can work uninterrupted for the most part.

I have 4 Friday goals:

1) Complete all my tasks due on Friday and most that are due on Monday.

2) Write proposals; blogs; white papers, articles, and general client correspondence.

3) Plan staff projects for the upcoming week; take time to plan next steps for my own business and prep for upcoming meetings.

4) Really think about next steps for our clients by creating new ideas that will drive their business forward.

When I tell other business leaders about Plaid Swan’s Flexible Fridays, they think I am nuts. “How can you know if people are working?” Easy. They get their tasks for the week done, or they don’t. Someone logging 8-9 hours of work with late or open tasks, would catch my attention but I find that people really do value the time to get caught up. This one day each week has actually become the most productive for the firm. By allowing people to set their own agendas in peace and quiet for a day, allows all of us to be very focused on the tasks at hand.  Take away all the travel time, office chatter and interruptions and Friday becomes extremely productive.

What is in it for me personally? Long lunch time walks with my dog; a Crockpot on the counter of something yummy that will save me a lot of time in meal prep over the weekend, and my laundry getting done. Flexible Fridays set me up to have some free time over the weekend. Come Monday, I am not stressed about unfinished work, nor did I spend my entire weekend working to get caught up. I start my week refreshed and motivated to tackle it all over again.

Consider trying it. Your teams will love you for it.

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-Betsy McCloskey | Principal/Partner