Top 5 Things I Love About Working in a ROWE
Recently, I was reminded of the very first blog I ever wrote titled Sunday Night Blues. I wrote about my experience as an intern working in a ROWE (Results-Only Work Environment) and remembered how much I enjoyed writing it. It's now eight months later, and I thought I would share my top five things I love about working in a ROWE.
No More Being "Late." Ever been late to work? Yeah, me either. Do you remember that feeling when you realized you were going to be 15 minutes late and all your coworkers would be gossiping about you? Maybe you felt guilty, maybe you were panicked. I used to imagine my boss glaring at the front door, tapping his foot, anxiously awaiting for my arrival, so he could scold me for not being at my desk "working." Desk hours do not exist in a ROWE.
No More Meetings. Okay, that's not entirely accurate. What I should have titled this section is "No more meetings that have nothing to do with you and waste your time." In a ROWE, you choose what meetings to attend. If you don't see a reason to attend, you may simply decline. How many "mandatory" meetings have you attended that had nothing to do with you? You can determine how much time, money, and resources an organization loses on meetings with this Meeting Cost Calculator.
Your Time is Your Own. Before working at SpinWeb, I worked at an insurance agency. It was the typical 9-5 job with designated lunch breaks. One day, my brother called me and said he would only be in town for a few hours. He was free at 10:30 and wanted to get together for an early lunch. I asked my boss if I could take my lunch an hour early; his response was a big, fat NO. I asked why. He was flabbergasted, and eventually spluttered, "Because lunch is from 11:30 - 12:30." Needless to say, I missed lunch with my brother.
No More Asking For Permission. Two months ago, my friend invited me to spend a week in Florida at her parent's condo. I fought the urge to email my boss and ask permission. In a ROWE, I don't have to ask for permission to go on vacation. I don't have to ask for permission to have an afternoon off, or for a doctor's appointment, or to have an early lunch with my brother. In fact, I'm pretty sure my co-workers didn't even realize I had left Indiana for one week because my work was completed on time.
You Can Work From Anywhere. Forget working from home; you can work from anywhere. Doesn't it seem silly to drive to a designated location to work when you have the ability and resources to work from virtually anywhere? I used to see my uncle a few times a year in San Francisco. That all stopped when I graduated college and started working full time. Now, all I have to do is block out transit times on my calendar to let my coworkers know I am unavailable, and viola! Suddenly, I'm visiting my uncle AND working without missing a beat (or a deadline).
If you think you or your company would flourish in a ROWE, I encourage you to speak to President and CEO of SpinWeb, Michael Reynolds, who can tell you more. I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Please share below!
No More Being "Late." Ever been late to work? Yeah, me either. Do you remember that feeling when you realized you were going to be 15 minutes late and all your coworkers would be gossiping about you? Maybe you felt guilty, maybe you were panicked. I used to imagine my boss glaring at the front door, tapping his foot, anxiously awaiting for my arrival, so he could scold me for not being at my desk "working." Desk hours do not exist in a ROWE.
No More Meetings. Okay, that's not entirely accurate. What I should have titled this section is "No more meetings that have nothing to do with you and waste your time." In a ROWE, you choose what meetings to attend. If you don't see a reason to attend, you may simply decline. How many "mandatory" meetings have you attended that had nothing to do with you? You can determine how much time, money, and resources an organization loses on meetings with this Meeting Cost Calculator.
Your Time is Your Own. Before working at SpinWeb, I worked at an insurance agency. It was the typical 9-5 job with designated lunch breaks. One day, my brother called me and said he would only be in town for a few hours. He was free at 10:30 and wanted to get together for an early lunch. I asked my boss if I could take my lunch an hour early; his response was a big, fat NO. I asked why. He was flabbergasted, and eventually spluttered, "Because lunch is from 11:30 - 12:30." Needless to say, I missed lunch with my brother.
No More Asking For Permission. Two months ago, my friend invited me to spend a week in Florida at her parent's condo. I fought the urge to email my boss and ask permission. In a ROWE, I don't have to ask for permission to go on vacation. I don't have to ask for permission to have an afternoon off, or for a doctor's appointment, or to have an early lunch with my brother. In fact, I'm pretty sure my co-workers didn't even realize I had left Indiana for one week because my work was completed on time.
You Can Work From Anywhere. Forget working from home; you can work from anywhere. Doesn't it seem silly to drive to a designated location to work when you have the ability and resources to work from virtually anywhere? I used to see my uncle a few times a year in San Francisco. That all stopped when I graduated college and started working full time. Now, all I have to do is block out transit times on my calendar to let my coworkers know I am unavailable, and viola! Suddenly, I'm visiting my uncle AND working without missing a beat (or a deadline).
If you think you or your company would flourish in a ROWE, I encourage you to speak to President and CEO of SpinWeb, Michael Reynolds, who can tell you more. I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback. Please share below!
Want to talk more about this? Don't hesitate to call us (ask for Michael or Adam)
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