Everyone has their own best practices and tools for getting the job done. Some include holding onto their iPhone for dear life or learning how to stay organized even during the chaotic times. Our recurring segment “It Works for Me” will feature business professionals sharing their secrets on how they get the job done. Next up is Kevin Mooney, VP Operations at BlueRock Technologies.
Company Name: BlueRock Technologies
Job Title: VP, Operations
Where do you live? Novi, MI
Where do you work? Troy, MI
What is your office environment like? A single floor workspace with very few individual offices. We value an open area to encourage collaboration. I’m in the middle of testing paint colors so it looks a bit like a kaleidoscope exploded in the office right now. I also tend to recommend a hard hat for visitors to avoid an errant nerf dart from “welcoming” our guests.
What technology do you use at work? I’m using a MacBook Air plugged into a Thunderbolt display most days. Conveniently, since we’re using our own offering (a Citrix Hosted Desktop), when I forget my laptop at home I can log into any computer, hit the website and I’m up and moving without losing a step. I keep trying to find a way to include an XBOX One into the “technology I use at work” but so far I’ve not been successful. We recently purchased a series of SONOS speakers for the office to add some ambient music. It’s been fun playing with the feature set of that new toy.
What technology do you use at home? I’m using an Alienware Aurora R4 running Windows 8.1 (and Steam, let’s be honest) that significantly impacts my electric bill whenever I accidentally leave it on overnight. It’s glorious. I think it generates more heat than the fireplace.
On a scale of 1 (never) to 10 (always), how often are you connected to your smartphone? I’d say an 8 now. A year ago it was an 11, so I’ve been actively working to separate myself from the phone more aggressively when 8PM arrives. The rule with my team is, if it’s critical and it’s after 8PM, call twice in a row. My family knows that’s “the signal.” Not as cool as the bat-signal, but it’s better than nothing.
What is your favorite organizational tool? I still stick with good old Outlook. Why fix what isn’t broken?
What is the latest website/app/tool you are obsessed with at the moment? I’m Facebook free as of July, so Instagram is now the tool I use to check in on my family and friends. It’s all the fun of keeping in touch and none of the political nonsense.
Can you recommend a book? Linchpin by Seth Godin. I’ve lost count of the number of people that I’ve recommended that book to that have improved their careers in significant ways within 12 months.
What’s your best time management tip? I’m a huge fan of the daily huddle/rhythm meeting concept. Sit down daily with your team for 15 minutes, then trust that they’ll make the right decisions until you meet the next day. Keep your door open just in case something comes up, but I’ve found that a 15 minute daily investment keeps me out of more meetings, netting me more time to focus on big picture items.
What’s the strangest thing in your office? Pete Marsack
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