by Jennette Lee
In 2024, FSi implemented a new management structure that streamlines our decision-making process. I’m grateful to be a part of the management team and to have the trust of the company leadership. When we launched our hybrid work policy, I got a chance to show my trust in the other managing partners, and my family and I learned some valuable lessons.
I have been very supportive of our hybrid work policy. As a single mother of four, its flexibility contributes greatly to my ability to get things done at home and at FSi. That said, when Kevin and Ola told me that our days in the office would be Mondays and Tuesdays, my immediate response was some major stress. I’m in school getting my MBA, working full time, taking on a new role as a managing partner at FSi, and parenting my kids. Monday was the only day of the week I could be sure we’d all have time together as a family. But I trusted that Kevin and Ola made the best decision for FSi overall, and since I’m always up for a challenge, I set out to make it work.
The first thing I did was to call a family meeting. I sat down with the kids and told them about how much I liked being in the office and how we got to work together as a team. They’ve been coming into the office with me for most of their lives and they know the people I work with. They really liked the team idea, and we decided that our family could be a team, too.
Once we decided to be a team, we had a whole new way to think about challenges. We brainstormed and came up with ways that each person could contribute to making my new schedule work. As it turned out, we found ways to really enjoy our new roles. My youngest loves having his older sibling pick him up after school. And we’re even more organized now, which helps everyone.
Being in the office is great for building my team, just like I knew it would be. We have a lot of fun, and we learn from each other in spontaneous ways that are hard to do over Zoom. I also get to interact with the engineering teams when I’m in the office. In fact, I keep a candy dish on my desk to lure people in. (I also insist that they read me the riddles in the Laffy Taffy.) For so many reasons, it’s important to me that we’re back together again.
What I didn’t expect is such a positive impact on my family. My kids are getting to spend more time together and they’re proud of taking responsibility to help our family team. I’m proud of them, too. And I’m glad I had the opportunity to build my trust my family, in myself as a part of the new management team, and in the decision-making process that is going to take FSi into the future.