How a Peloton bike made me a better manager

The bike finally arrived. This was the day I was going to change my job for the better. Shift my work routine to spend more time doing the parts I enjoy. When I first set up my office, I was happy to have a big desk, a comfortable chair that swiveled — and even rocked — and pictures of family in wood frames that matched the desk. I was most proud of the two chairs on the far side to have those “important” meetings. I wanted to be to owner/manager that cared: My door is always open.

IT DIDN’T WORK OUT THE WAY I THOUGHT IT WOULD

Well … that changed quickly. The opposite happened. It seemed these comfortable chairs were a magnet and somehow made everyone too comfortable. The “Do you have a minute” (it was never just a minute) and “Just want to keep you in the loop” were typically unfiltered venting sessions that derailed my day. There was also the random “Can I have a review?” One employee even sat down and asked for a $1,000 advance because she had moved in with her boyfriend and wanted to buy new furniture.

The desk was disrupting when I was able to work since employees would drop in and sit in one of those comfortable chairs for an undetermined amount of time. Additionally, my interactions were often not positive since I was interrupted from other important tasks and the meeting topic was usually a surprise, with no time for me to prepare or incorporate key decision makers for this on-the-spot interaction. The tail was wagging the dog.

DEFEND PRECIOUS RESOURCES

Wait. Don’t judge. I care, deeply, about my employees’ well-being. I understand my practice success is dependent on their finding meaning, purpose and happiness at work. On the other hand, economics dictates that one’s time and energy are of limited supply. Your success depends proactively creating an environment and culture to manage these scarce resources. We often know what we do best, but need to determine when. The flight attendants got it right: Place the oxygen mask on yourself first and then the dependent.

So, I moved the family pictures to a newly hung matching wooden shelf and happily donated my desk and comfortable chairs to a member of my team. In came … a Peloton bike.* It may seem like a strange choice, but I was concerned that taking out the furniture may offend employees. Putting in an exercise bike, however, made it seem that there just was not enough room for meetings anymore. And there was the benefit of being able to de-stress on the job through exercise.

This new, uninviting change undid a pattern and created an opportunity for me to shift the dynamic. I still meet often with staff but set up meeting times and agendas. In fact, I spend more time meeting … but differently. I’m not rushed, trying to get back to a task, etc. Instead, I can establish more meaningful connections and organize the key people for the topic in order to get things done.

FOCUS REQUIRED

This undisturbed (or less disturbed) time to focus on the things an owner/manager needs to focus on is irreplaceable. We need to function as a team. A leader needs to determine an individual’s unique role by investigating what they love to do, their aspirations for growth and areas that don’t come easy to the employee. Doing this enables a leader to design a team that works more intelligently and with positivity. Keep in mind: Our job is eye care, but the work is people. They are the point.

Management has changed. It is now time to unlearn old skills and mindsets and learn — and apply — new ones. I don’t miss my desk, and I happen to get a great workout with a reset opportunity each day. I must admit, though, that I do randomly pop into my colleague’s office to visit my old desk, sit in the “comfortable chair” and watch my colleague swivel and rock in my old chair. I really enjoy sitting on this side of the old desk to vent and blow off some random steam. OM

*Disclosure: I, unfortunately, have no financial interest in Peloton.

Scott LaBorwit, MD, is a principal at Select Eye Care, with locations in Towson and Elkridge, Md., and is an assistant professor, part-time faculty, at Wilmer Eye Clinic of Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore. His e-mail is Sel104@me.com.
Disclosures: Dr. LaBorwit is a consultant to and speaker for Alcon.