Summary:

In this episode Dr. Jim sits down with Tony Jamous, the CEO of Oyster, to dismantle prevailing HR and leadership myths. As an expert in creating global and decentralized teams, Tony speaks with authenticity about the transformative power of remote work.

Firstly, Tony debunks the misconception that high-performing organizations necessitate an on-site presence. He passionately argues for remote setups, offering insights on how CEOs can nurture a culture that values employee well-being and personal choice. Secondly, he discusses how embracing remote work can widen talent pools and enhance organizational diversity—a strategy that falls perfectly in line with his company's mission. By embedding intentional practices in trust-building, collaboration tools, and defining success, Tony illustrates how remote environments can drive remarkable results.

Key Takeaways:

Authentic Leadership: Leaders need to foster trust rather than force office attendance to maintain credibility and show genuine care for their team's welfare.

Global Talent Pool: Remote work strategies enable companies to access a broader talent pool beyond the traditional 20-mile office radius.

Intentionality in Remote Work: Success in remote environments hinges on intentionality in building trust, using collaborative tools, setting clear work structures, and defining success metrics.

Success Redefined: Remote work necessitates a shift from valuing physical presence to measuring success based on output and results.

Empowering Work Choices: The modern leader supports employees in choosing their own work environments, which can range from bustling cities to tranquil remote islands.

Chapters:

Timestamp

0:00:00

Introduction and background of Tony Jamous

0:01:39

Debunking the myth that high-performing organizations require employees to be on-site

0:02:44

The impact of forcing employees to work on-site on talent acquisition

0:03:22

Challenging the myth that success requires being in an urban area

0:03:49

Building trust, intentional collaboration, and measuring success in a distributed environment

0:04:51

Conclusion and contact information for Tony Jamous

Connect with Dr. Jim: linkedin.com/in/drjimk

Connect with CT: linkedin.com/in/cheetung

Connect with Tony Jamous: linkedin.com/in/teljamou

Music Credit: winning elevation - Hot_Dope



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[00:00:21] Tony Jamous: Dr. Jim, thank you for having me.

[00:00:43] Tony Jamous: I'm a serial software entrepreneur started a company 13 years ago that they took public. I was acquired and then I left this business and I started a mission driven business called Oyster on a mission to make the world more free and equal by democratizing access to global job opportunities.

[00:01:15] Dr. Jim: I know that we're going to get into some myth busting, but we're going to tackle some other stuff right now, because you just mentioned something that's a hot button issue for me. And that's this idea that in order for you to be a high performing organization, you have to be on site. You're somebody that's taken multiple organizations And exited them and grown them and scale them.

And you're doing this one in a completely remote environment. What advice do you have to those CEOs who are hell bent on forcing all of their employees back into the office under the guise of we have better culture if we're on site?

Like you want people to follow you. You want people to feel like you're That you really care about their well being, about their success. So if you [00:02:00] force people to go to the office they're not going to like it. And they're going to start doubting whether you really care about your people. So it is a challenge for leaders to remain credible by forcing people to go back to the office.

And the reality of it is that certain CEOs can't have it both ways. You can't on the one hand complain about, we can't find enough people for our jobs. And on the other hand, say everybody has to work in the office. You're excluding large segments of the population by doing that.

[00:02:51] Dr. Jim: Absolutely. So let's bust some myths. What's the HR leadership myths that you think needs to die?

I did that from the remote island in the Mediterranean. So the myth we want to tackle today is that you don't have to be. In an urban dense area and pay extreme property prices and have polluted lifestyle to be successful. You can have the choice. You can choose where you want to live. And that location where you live can be anywhere.

How do you do that well in a distributed environment and have it work? Because that's going to be the objection you get from a lot of quote unquote, old school CEOs who want butts in seats.

So you have to trust that they're doing their best no matter where they are. You also have to be [00:04:00] intentional about how you work together, the tools and the rules. And train people on that because working remotely is different. You have to default to async. You have to know how to prepare a meeting.

You have to know how to engage in with documentation ahead of time. And thirdly, you have to be intentional about how you measure success because unlike the office success is not showing up and being on a desk success is about the living result. So how do you empower people to know what success look like for them?

How do you connect their success with the company results?

Great stuff, Tony. Don't mean to put words in your mouth, but that's what I took away from the conversation. If people want to continue the conversation with you, what's the best way for them to get in touch with you?

[00:04:58] Dr. Jim: Awesome stuff. Thanks for hanging out. [00:05:00] And we busted some myths.

Tune in for more where we'll have another leader joining us and we'll crack another myth on the show.