Launching Its Agency During the Pandemic Shaped Mischief’s Office Plans and Priorities

Early in the Covid-19 lockdowns, questions of returning to the office typically revolved around proposed dates and mask protocols. But as the pandemic continued into its second year, it has become a highly complex—and potentially volatile—topic at companies around the world. For many organizations, it’s no longer about a return to normalcy; it’s about defining a new normal and finding the sometimes elusive balance between productivity and your team’s emotional well-being. That’s why Adweek is launching a regular interview series called Open Plan. In each Q&A, we’ll ask company leaders how they’ve changed the way they think about offices, remote work and the many transitions ahead. For this installment of Open Plan, Kerry McKibbin, president and partner at Mischief @ No Fixed Address, talks about the agency opening during the pandemic, the balance of working from home versus in the office and empathy in the workplace. We Should 'Respect Each Other's Time' Serviceplan Russia Chief Advises Adweek: How has the pandemic changed how you view workplaces?Kerry McKibbin: I’ve always thought to myself, "If I could build my own office, how would I do it?" The answer was a space that would be fun, comfortable and welcoming versus corporate or rigid with lots of areas for creative collaboration and flexibility. No giant executive corner offices; a place that people want to go to versus somewhere they feel like they’re reporting for duty. This approach is even more critical now in the pandemic where you are competing with team members' bedrooms and couches. So, I suppose it hasn’t changed how I view workplaces overall. Ultimately, they should be built around staff and client comfort and inspiration, around doing great work. How have you changed the office environment since the pandemic started?We opened during the pandemic, so we aren’t having to undo anything that was already done. We’re building our office now, intending to open later this year. The design is really centered around creative collaboration and a more flat, democratic sort of workplace. Of course, safety and flexibility will both be huge factors. How has it changed your view on working hours? What will you do to implement that?I don’t know that Covid-19 has changed my POV on working hours per se; rather, maybe the world is catching up to the reality of how we should treat talent. If you hire great people who take joy and pride in their work, then you can and should trust them. I trust everyone at Mischief. Some folks prefer to wake up and get working at 4:00 a.m., some folks need a little midday nap, and some folks are night owls. Bottom line: If they get their work done and do it well, they shouldn’t need to punch a clock or have big brother watching over them. Do you believe in flexible working? If so, how do you define it?Flexible working boils down to giving people freedom and treating them with respect. You shouldn’t need to feel bad for wanting to spend certain hours of the day with your kid or tapping out early when you’re feeling a bit burnt out or even just needing to go for a haircut. We care deeply about our work, but life is important, too. How Agencies Are Shifting Their Return to Office Policies Amid the Delta Variant What has been the biggest challenge about remote working?At Mischief, we’ve only ever been remote, so it hasn’t taken any adjusting. The greatest challenge with a return to office will be ensuring that we don’t create a sort of A/B system where some folks are working from home all the time and some folks are at the office all the time, and then people feel left out of conversations. What benefits has the agency experienced from remote working?In some ways, we’ve been able to move with much greater pace. We’re not booking a meeting three weeks in advance, flying across the country, doing a big show and then flying back home. We’re texting or WhatsApping senior client leaders, hopping on a Zoom, jamming on something and getting the work produced. Also, while creatives and producers should continue to go on shoots and work shoulder-to-shoulder with directors, remote shooting has actually worked really well for us and for many of our clients. Everyone sees what the camera sees, and when it’s time to approve framing, you’re not running around trying to find your brand manager at craft service. (Though I do miss craft service.) Finally, remote working has kind of been the great bullshit remover. There’s no show. Nobody can see your cool outfit, or no one cares. There’s no wining and dining. We’re all just talking out the ideas with our clients, looking at the same work on the screen. The strategy is either smart or it isn’t. The creative is either great or it isn’t. So, in a way, it’s been sort of democratizing. What have you missed most, if anything, about working from the office?More than anything I miss the more impromptu meets and chats. Zoom requires premeditation. I miss talking to someone without an agenda. If you could change one thing about how the industry works—whether about the office, working patterns or anything—what would it be and why?If I could change one thing about the business, it would be lack of empathy. It’s important to know what’s happening in the lives of the people with whom you work. Even if not individually, it’s important to be able to broadly feel the pulse or take the temperature of the agency in all disciplines and at all levels of seniority. And while we have been super lucky to have amazing clients at Mischief, in the past I’ve heard too many stories about clients who seem to forget that at the end of the day, the folks on the other side of the table are people, too. So, ultimately, I’d want to bring more respect, kindness and empathy into the business. How do you plan to do this?By leading by example, hiring carefully and partnering carefully. To suggest an executive for Adweek's Open Plan series, email stephen.lepitak@adweek.com.