The next time you’re sitting in traffic on your way to or from work take a look around you. Half of the people sitting there with you don’t need to be there. You’re all stuck in traffic because as a society we insist that everyone arrive at the office at 8:00 AM and leave the office at 5:00 PM. This needlessly puts everyone on the road at the same time hence the daily rush hour traffic jam. There is a solution.

Cali Ressler and Jodi Thompson have come up with an alternative. Together they’ve developed the Results Only Work Environment or ROWE. In a ROWE the focus is on the work rather than on the ritual. The quality and amount of work you complete is what’s important, not where you are when you do the work. In the “olden days” you pretty much had to be in the office to work because that’s where your tools and material were. With the technology available today that’s no longer true. The internet, cell phones, Skype, and all the supporting technology make it possible for most of us to work at any time and from any location.

The ROWE is just one part of a bigger story. As I’ve said before the workplace and the workforce are changing. Organizations that want to prosper going forward will need to adjust their management approach accordingly. People my age (baby boomers) are leaving the workforce at about 10,000 per day. Younger people joining the workforce (Gen X, Gen Y, Millennials) as a group (each generation) behave differently; influenced by the environment they experienced growing up. They tend to place value a little differently than older generations. Organizations that recognize this and make adjustments will more easily be able to attract and retain the best people going forward. Some adjustments to consider:

  • Implement a ROWE – start with a “pilot” group and grow it throughout the organization
  • Consider other remote work options for your team – focus on the work delivered not the hours or location
  • Focus on autonomy, purpose, and mastery rather than money for motivation
  • Work to develop a healthy workplace environment

Looking back at my own experience in the workplace I realize that things could have been much different had I been aware of these ideas. I was in a position to implement some of them, at least within my team, but was completely unaware of these concepts at the time. While I consider my career very successful, it could have been a much happier experience had I been a bit smarter.

In closing I’d like to suggest that you pursue this knowledge and apply it to your work to produce a happier and more successful experience for all. Start by considering the following question:

What specific things can I do at work to apply some of these ideas?

©2016 Joseph T Drammissi