The ability to teleconference, carry a mobile phone and connect to the Internet from almost any location has allowed people to develop creative approaches to improve workplace productivity. One of these approaches is proposed by HR professionals Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson who challenge the assumption that workers need to be present for a certain number of hours every workday in their book Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It. Ressler and Thompson use the acronym ROWE to describe their concept of a Results-Only Work Environment.

Organizations today are striving to find ways to increase and encourage individual responsibility in employees. Increased accountability and self responsibility seem to go hand in hand with better control over one's work life and schedule.

In a Results-Only Work Environment employees are held responsible for delivering against expectations, but do not have to be present in an office for 8 hours a day. Core to the process is the use of clear performance expectations, objectives and goals and “regular evaluation sessions.” (3) If goals are not met satisfactorily, then other performance measures come into play.

Along the same lines, The Energy Project www.theenergyproject.com discusses the concept of managing energy instead of time. Imagine the impact upon productivity – for example – from a schedule that allows work on tough projects to take place at a time when a workers energy level is at its best. Furthermore, something as simple as being able to schedule the drive into work during non-rush hours can save a tremendous amount of personal energy and time.

At first, a discussion about workplace freedom at this level may be met with resistance. But Ressler and Thompson have proved that ROWE works, with their first implementation taking place at Best Buy, a retail environment. As a result of the adoption of ROWE principles, voluntary turnover decreased, involuntary turnover increased and productivity rose by “on average” 41% for participating teams. (1 & 2).

One of three suggested action steps to take to begin the transition towards a ROWE workplace, involves making “every meeting in your organization optional.” This would act as a testing ground for the concept.


References:
(1)       Dube, Rebecca. “The workplace is broken.” Globeandmail.com, Globe Life Work, June 9, 2008.

(2)       Dube, Rebecca. “Think Work Sucks?” globeandmail.com, Globe Life Work, June 9, 2008.

(3)       Holmquist, Jeff. “Local firms new business model on Good Morning America.” New Richmond News, June 12, 2008.