ROWE is NOT a remote-only work environment. We don’t say that to be clever or to play some Jeddi mind trick on you. In fact, location (along with hours) are not drivers of work conversations in a ROWE. What is communicated includes: clarity of outcomes, scope of work, timeliness of deliverables, appropriate metrics, understanding customer fulfillment, efficiency, and effectiveness.
“ROWE Guidepost #2 - People have the freedom to work any way they want.”
That guidepost speaks to the 100% autonomy people have over how they achieve results in a ROWE.. To which we often hear, “But…I work on a conveyor line. or I’m a public transportation driver. or I’m an ER doctor. or I am an administrative assistant. or I work in retail. or I’m a line cook.….so, I can’t just choose to work when and where I want.” Why not?
If the work is informing decisions of where and when the work needs to happen, that is incredibly different than a “belief structure” doing so. In a ROWE, you are where you need to be when you need to be in order to achieve results. Schedules are about hours. Coverage is about results. Hours worked provide subjective information about productivity. Results delivered provide something objective to measure. See the difference?
In a ROWE, having appropriate, agreed upon metrics in place is how people are held 100% accountable.
Consider these questions:
Has the work been clearly defined (scope and timeliness)? Have the necessary resources been identified? Can you perform your work differently? Can you collaborate with team members to ensure quality work is delivered on time - even if it looks different? Is there only one way to achieve results? How much do YOU contribute to how YOU work?
If you can explore and re-define HOW you work, what would you change? Hint: GoROWE!