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Happy 2012 from the ROWE-bots

Dec 29, 2011 » by Cali & Jody

May you all have a safe and happy New Year! Aren’t you glad you don’t have a boss like this… or do you?

  • Future ROWE

    My company is about to go ROWE and while I am very excited about the move in theory, I have some concerns about the implementaiton.
    One of my questions is about how managers in ROWE companies set measurable and reasonable goals for their employees. Traditionally, we think: “it’s going to take me X hours/days/ weeks to do this job, so I will set my delivery date based on that and taking into account other things that I may have to do at the same time”. We assume that 1 day = 8 hours of work (a faulty assumption, I understand). If time is no longer the main parameter, or even A parameter, in setting goals, then what’s to prevent management from setting goals that will require employees to work a total numbers of hours/week that is significantly higher than the standard 40? I am all for being able to work whenever and wherever I want, but I don’t want to be required to work, indirectly, more than 40ish hours in a week.
    How does management in ROWE companies ensure that their expectations of employees are reasonable (as defined by me above :-) ?

    • http://twitter.com/StaceyMSwanson staceyswanson

      This is a great question. It all boils down to capacity.  How is the workload set so one person doesn’t have a huge amount of work and another is barely contributing.

      It all comes down to making sure expectations are reasonable and having a conversation about results, deadlines and capacity.

      In a traditional work environment, managers set goals, issue the orders to the employee, and everyone walks away ready to attack the work. In a ROWE, the goal conversation takes place with the employee, so the employee has a say in what is reasonable and what isn’t.

      With CultureRx implementing ROWE, we touch on this very topic in training sessions with the group as a whole as well as separately with managers. We will get you on the right path for being crystal clear about results that are reasonable.

      I am so excited that you are moving to ROWE. You will have a great 2012!

  • Jennifer

    Ow! So painfully true!

  • Andersld

    I just formed a company and using Lean Six Sigma methodologies to design a streamlined efficient work structure. I’m very interested in creating a work environment in which the employees genuinely feel contentment and pride to be working for the company. Reading a recent article in Federal Computer Week, I became currious how ROWE could be implemented in a service industry in which the customers adhere to traditional work schedules and many of the employees will work at customer locations.