Page 172 - Managing the Mobile Workforce

the mobile performance management process � 151

What’s it like to be a mobile manager? How demanding is
it? As John relates:

You certainly have to have a very profound work ethic and be will-
ing to work hard. However, I would say it is equally important to
work smart and to be sure to carve time out to give back to your-
self, and in my case that is often in the form of time with my fam-
ily. When I hang up with you guys today I will be done. I’ll spend
the rest of the afternoon playing with my son, watching the Olym-
pics, and really winding down from the week.
I’d say the ability to multitask [is important for a mobile man-
ager]. It is interesting: We have notes repositories on all of our
clients . . . but I really hold all of the most active opportunities
in my active memory so I can get a call at any time from any re-

source and be very present with their specific concerns without
having to go shuffle and search for the relevant content. It takes a

certain mental capacity that is really more inherited than learned,
although you can learn effective strategies and so forth.