We gave our receptionist a clear responsibility and near-total freedom to figure out how to accomplish it. It was entirely up to him what hours during the day someone needed to be there; up to him to figure out how to cover when he was away, or sick, or needed a day off. It was up to him to figure out which behaviors didn’t put the best face forward for the company (like eating lunch at his desk), and which helped. (I have a strong suspicion that he bought the popcorn machine.) And you know what? We had a damn good receptionist as a result.
