F3 so far

Some time ago at Ai we started running an experiment that eventually became called "Fuss-Free Fridays", or F3. The core of the idea was that we wouldn't allow meetings to be scheduled on Fridays (barring emergencies), thus ensuring that people would have time in which they could be assured they could get work done. We gave people the "right of refusal" for Friday meetings.

Here's what we've learned so far:

• Creating "protected" time zones is great - during the course of the week it's possible to segment my tasks in a way that I can direct them towards the part of the week that is the most appropriate for them. If I find something that requires a long uninterrupted period of time then I tend to shoot it towards Fridays.
• For me there's an additional reduction of stress involved in knowing I'm not going to be interrupted. Some things require deep concentration, and when I get pulled out of that it drives me crazy. F3 protects this.
  
• One unintended consequence is that its made the other four days of the work week very meeting-heavy. I guess that's because we're compressing 5 days of meetings into 4 days. That makes some days (like yesterday) back to back meetings.

Some people complain that "F3" is dead whenever a meeting gets scheduled on a Friday. But that's not the point: Fridays are now meeting light, providing a protected zone of high-productivity time during the week. And besides, there's bagels when I come in in the morning.

UPDATE: Another side effect of F3 is that Wertheimer and I keep posting on the same day.

Ai Fridays

Today marks the start of Ai Fridays, a new way for us to wind down the workweek. This is a hard-working office, and we're doing our best to acknowledge the need for a) targeted, stress-free time and b) a little bit of fun.

Our new Friday format is threefold.

1. Breakfast in the office. Some of our peers buy everyone lunch daily, but that's more of a perk, and this is more of a thank-you for a job well done. It's also a nice way to start the day. The breakfast station behind my desk has been convivial all morning. Our routine will be bagels, orange juice and the like, although at an unspecified Friday in the future I'll be rolling in an omelette station.
2. Fuss-Free Friday. This applies to how we're supposed to work: no meetings, no calls, no instant messaging, infrequent email. In a client-driven business, we often spend the bulk of the week in conversation, leaving little time to get things done. Fridays are now earmarked for "me" time, where we can all focus on projects with minimal distraction.
3. An early whistle. At 4 or 4:30, we're turning on music and taking the beer out of the fridge. Ai employees typically work past 6, so the last few hours of the week are now a weekend kickoff. We'll get a little work done, but we'll get to enjoy some communal downtime and finish Fridays with a smile.

This isn't particularly innovative; it's just a nice way for us to wind up each week. It's also year-round, unlike the summer or casual Fridays found in many offices. (Indeed, I'm not sure we can get much more casual.) Mostly, it's a way for Ai to show its appreciation to the team, with a little added productivity as well.

I'm posting this on a Friday, so if you'll excuse me, I have to grab a bagel....