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INSIGHT
Does Work Suck?
Peter Raj explores the idea of working without
schedules and guilt-free mid-morning coffees off-site
by Peter Raj
published 20 September 2008
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Cali
Ressler and Jody Thompson
Photograph
courtesy of CultureRX
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Think
back to the last review you conducted or conversation that you had
with one of your employees. Consider whether you were judging them
on their performance, their attitude or perhaps, something else
altogether.
Do
you look at what your employees are doing – are they watching
the clock? Are they really going out for their fourth cigarette
today? Do you mumble disapprovingly when they apply for a week
off to attend a wedding in Ipoh? The issue here is that in the
work environment, it’s hard to completely rely on results.
And we certainly, almost never do that. Results can take a long
time to manifest itself, results may not always be so clear-cut
and, at times, there may not be a direct correlation between end-result
and specific action taken by the employee. So, we focus on the
externalities – how many hours were put in, whether project
deliverables were met, timelines and stakeholder response.
We have seen oftentimes, that we’re judged on other things
besides the results we deliver. Well, ROWE is here to bring us
back to what we really need to be focused on.
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Cali
and Jody argue that with ROWE :
· There is no need for schedules
· Nobody focuses on "how many hours did
you work?"
· Nobody feels overworked, stressed out or
guilty
· Work is not a place you go to, it's something
you do
· People at all levels stop wasting the company's
time and money
· Teamwork, morale, and engagement soar
· There's no judgment on how people spend their
time
They argue that a Results-Only Work Environment is
a proven Total Rewards differentiator.
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Random selection of comments from employees
working in a ROWE about their experience at Best Buy’s
Corporate Headquarters:
“I
like working for a company that understands life outside
of work. ROWE has enabled me to probably work more
hours, however feel that I have time for everything
in my life. I am therefore less stressed and can work
more and more efficiently. I feel more in control
of my work and that I have more to offer, which
makes
me feel good as a person.”
“ROWE! It’s the greatest concept ever.
Thank you for giving me the flexibility to choose
when and where I work so long as I deliver results.
I finally feel like I am being treated like an adult!
Please help those that still think they need to sit
in their cube and surf the internet or walk around
and talk to people unti their boss leaves for the
day.”
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ROWE
which stands for Results-Only Work Environment is a ground-breaking
movement in the US. It’s touted as a bold transformation,
one that not only changes the way you work but how you approach
and think about your work, your colleagues and your output.
It
began with two people, Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson. ROWE forms
the core of the philosophy at their company, CultureRX and in a
few words, ROWE is about results. As Cali and Jody put it, “no
results, no job”.
Cali and Jody characterise ROWE in the following way :-
·
trust and mutual respect between managers and both hourly and salaried
employees
· flexible roles and responsibilities
· constant focus on the customer’s needs
· results-only edge
· sense of commitment to the team and to the Company
· freedom to act and to be held accountable
· personal ingenuity and risk- taking
· dynamic and frequent change
The ROWE programme got off to a good start at Best Buy, the first
company to try it out. It achieved so much success that it made
the cover of Business Week. It’s fascinating. And scary all
in the one. It levels the playing field but creates the pressure
for results. It gives you freedom while demanding performance. It’s
the kind of thing that would give those over-achievers something
to shout about.
But
here’s the thing. ROWE’s been proven to not only make
employees happier, but it also delivers better results. We’re
talking about increasing the average productivity level by up to
41%, declining voluntary turnover rates by as much as 90%, eliminating
waste from the system; now, tell me who wouldn’t be interested
in that?
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In
ROWE teams, Voluntary Turnover Rates are trending down. The
Company is retaining talent.
Source
: Excerpt from the ROWE Business Case |
In
ROWE teams, Involuntary Turnover Rates are trending up. Managers
are focused on performance. |
Results
from the Best Buy Co. Inc Study *
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Talent Retention - Productive Turnover
ROWE teams at Best Buy Co., Inc. are experiencing
a decrease in voluntary turnover rates - the company is
retaining the right talent. ROWE teams also experience an
increase in involuntary turnover rates - unsatisfactory
performance is exposed.
- ROWE and Productivity Levels
a. Knowledge Work
In a Results-Only Work Environment, productivity for knowledge
workers is measured based on ‘perceived gain’.
The CultureRx Post Migration Culture Audit uses a sliding
scale of 1-100%. Managers and employees report individual
perceptions of their productivity gains by choosing a point
on the sliding scale. If an employee reports a perceived
productivity gain of 40%, and the manager (who is measuring
‘business outcomes’) reports a gain in the outcome
of projected business targets, then the perceived productivity
gain is driving real results.
PERCEPTION: The CultureRx Post Migration Culture Audit reported
an average 44.59% perceived gain in productivity for ‘Team
C’.
REALITY: During the time that the perceived gain was measured
(CY 2004 –2006), ‘Team C’ realised a more
than 50% increase in business results (cost reductions)
year over year without adding additional headcount.
b. Production Work
Production work is measured by managers in terms of outcome
per hour with process remaining unchanged. In a department
of ‘Team A’ management is reporting a 10-20%
increase in productivity per employee which has resulted
in an approximate $10 MM annual benefit for the company.
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So
now, consider whether this would work for you.
> Cali and Jody have put out the ROWE Launch Kit™: Office
Edition. It’s a step-by-step, proven, systematic change management
approach that will enable facilitators in your organisation to establish
a Results-Only Work Environment.
> Get Cali and Jody’s new book, Why Work Sucks and How
to Fix It . Download the book’s Introduction and Chapter One
at http://caliandjody.com/book/.
> ROWE in the press. More articles on ROWE at culturerx.com/press/print/
*
Excerpt from the ROWE Business Case. Reprinted with permission.
Copyright 2008 CultureRX LLC. All rights reserved.
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