At 29, Chris Egan Roxas is one of the few millennials in CEO positions embracing the new disruptive technologies that are changing work cultures across their entire network of employees.
He said his collaboration with technology started when his mom—an architect—introduced him to CAD when he was in grade 1. From there he moved on to making his first animations using PowerPoint and ever since, computers and technology that can help him create, had become a fascination.
"When I was in 5th grade, I remember simply wanting to own a computer shop because I was fascinated with the thought of having a lot of computers so I can multitask and do more using them."
With a tenacity toward technology he attributes to his youth, Chris started XS Multimedia—the first agency in the country that offers end to end multimedia services to companies looking for more than just advertising—four years ago and competed against the entrenched giants of the industry.
"I used to get intimidated by older CEOs who would comment that either I was too young to be president of my own company or too foolish to have any actual foresight as to where I wanted to lead my company," he said. "Later on, I realized being a millennial CEO was an advantage because compared to my more 'seasoned' counterparts, I am not too timid in taking risks concerning my business."
His risk-taking paid off when his start-up company was awarded the Red Herring Top 100 title last year and was cited as the 5th Hardest Working Start Up company in the world. The award recognizes entrepreneurs for their unrivaled passion, dedication vision, and innovative plans for future growth.
Aside from an immediate affinity with technology, millennials are more adept with disruptions in the workplace without losing balance between their personal and work lives because they are digital natives.
"For me, work doesn't equate to the office anymore. I think that's what defines our work culture now: the more we collaborate with each other, the more we transcend time zones and geographies thus displacing the notion of working strictly within office premises," he said. "That's why I'm confident my compact devices like my Windows phone helps me flow with the stream of this era's disruption—mobility—and strengthens the resiliency of my business in spite of the undeniable changes technology will surely bring our way in the future."
Tips to get the job done
For Chris, he utilizes the first ever Windows 10 phone to lead his workforce and never lose touch with his goals. His Lumia 950 XL is his hardworking partner in accomplishing tasks and finishing his work even out of the office.
Here he shares his top three tips in increasing workforce productivity by utilizing the most available yet economical solutions out in the market:
1. Mobilize – Given this era's disparate workforce of millennials, Chris suggests encouraging employees to move around while they work to help spur creativity in their output. He also adds that using apps that allow productivity, like the ones in Office 365, even while they are away from their cubicles improves the flow of work—employees become more flexible with their workload, seamlessly accomplishing task after task without compromising the time they have set for themselves. Productive employees are those who have time to follow their passions out of the office at the end of every working day. Encouraging them to also utilize mobile devices with set solutions to accomplish tasks will make working even more easier for the team.
"I'll let you in on a secret," Chris jests "the traffic I experience going to work and leaving gets so bad I actually get to finish my work on my phone." Pointing to his Lumia 950 XL Chris merely laughs while remembering despite obstacles to work like traffic, his mobile phone can serve as an all in one business machine. "Sometimes when I'm also running late, I get to join client calls outside of the office because I've got Skype for Business on my phone where I can also present actual PowerPoint presentations to everyone in the call, unbelievably, through my phone. And I've been doing that for some time now that I actually get surprised when I see my clients in person because prior to meeting them, I only know what their voice sounds like," he smiles.
2. Unify – A strong and steady, unified line of communication is what keeps a company afloat according to Chris, "I think one of the many nails in the coffin of a start-up is the inability to communicate well within the workforce," he said.
He recommends Office 365 for Business, a subscription he can share with up to 5 computers with tools like Skype for Business and OneNote that bind the least number of devices together in order to minimize confusion within the company on how to operate multiple devices like phones and tablets, "Get devices and subscribe to services that offer the whole gamut of services you need so you don't have to pay multiple bills at the end of the month."
Chris believes that if communication lines are open and unified within a company, employees won't miss out on critical information needed to accomplish tasks.
"I like how integrating my Outlook to my Skype for Business app saves the entire team time when making appointments with clients and beating deadlines," he said "I never truly get separated from my team because we can work anywhere in a call. And we're always moving so multi-tasking without sacrificing work quality even without the desktop is cool."
3. Inspire – Believing nothing encourages employee productivity more than an inspiring leader who walks his talk, Chris says "I won't ever make things difficult for my team. Yes, I'll push them to grow, stretch them a little to strengthen them, but delegation will never come to a point where they are spread too thinly between tasks. If they didn't see me do it, I won't pressure them to do it as well."
Chris also shares occasional snippets of wisdom to his team through pictures he takes whenever he travels or wherever creativity springs up.
"That adage 'all work and no play' gets all too real for my team and I so occasionally, I cheer them up with the quaint things I see and take through my Lumia's camera. I'm very detail oriented and I like how the camera is high definition enough that my team can see the exact thing I'm looking at."
He has also started integrating fun into the work area by introducing movie nights twice a month in the company. "I'm excited. I've got lots of movies in mind to download from the Windows store for my team and I to bond over." Chris laughs, "While we are waiting to afford a built-in office movie house we'll be doing fine with my 950XL. All I have to do is hook up my phone to the dock and power a bigger, independent screen so we can share the experience."
Diversifying what would otherwise be repetitive work, a digitized solution for millennial workers is what Chris banks on to push his business forward. And by embracing the future of productivity with Microsoft, all workers—from the hardest working employees to the hardest working CEOs—are assured that their work performance and passions are well equipped for what's ahead. ADVT.
Source: CEO succeeds in new world of work with the hardest working device
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