July 23, 2010 at 12:46 am
Great editorial Steve. Inspired me to reply rather than going to bed, which is what I should be doing.
I work in a ROWE environment too, and you're right, it can be tough. But it pushes you to grow, which can be a good thing sometimes too.
But my deep thought for the day is this: It's a ROWE world out there, the only difference is how team-oriented and structured your job is.
Silly-because-it's-late thought: rereading my post, I realize I typed "ROWE environment", which is like saying "ATM machine". I have a friend - working in IT, I bet a lot of you have a friend like this - who has a major pet-peeve with saying ATM machine. Because the machine part is already included. But, as a global rebuke to that, I am leaving "ROWE environment" in my post. Because it's an acronym, and the environment part helps to explain the thought! Lol, [eye-roll], Caleb, I hope you read this..
July 23, 2010 at 4:49 am
Bosses, in my experience, want to know they can reach out and touch you any time during a 9-10 hour span. They don't care what you're working on, your progress. Etc. They only want to know that when some else yells at them about whether x project is done that they can find you to yell at you.
It's about control. Most bosses aren't in those positions because they want added responsibility. They took the job because it gives them status and contol over others.
Even with today's instant communication, they want to know that at 8 am you are down the hall from their office. That if they come in at 10 and have to rush to the next hot air meeting they can find you at your desk and demand you tell them all projects you've completed in the last day.
ROWE will never be adopted mainstream. That's all I'm saying.
July 23, 2010 at 6:10 am
Jusr what we need. Another acronym. 😛
Steve, you mentioned that it can be difficult. What about ROWE can be difficult?
July 23, 2010 at 6:11 am
I think prefer ROWE, but I have never experienced in the way I think it should be done. I am working non-ROWE now, and I don't really like having choices made for me, but it does take a lot of the stress off.
When I have had the freedom to do things when and how I want, I have not had the support to get the resources I need. For example, I'm told to implement a new product with a high level of quality, so I go looking for people in operations working on similar products and ask for their help with testing. They are dealing with their own tight schedules, so they do a cursory job of testing, if they do anything at all.
Thanks for the links, hopefully they have some ideas on how this can work better.
July 23, 2010 at 6:19 am
Without knowing it, I've been working like that for quite some time (almost 10 years!). In my previous position, I was working from a home office when I wasn't on the road - so I was quite free to set my own schedule for what got done when. In my current position (new company), I still have the freedom to set what I do when. Yes, I've got deadlines to meet, but there's still the freedom.
I'd have to say I much prefer the flexibility of ROWE. There are some scenarios (new skillsets, new apps, etc) it's helpful to have someone more experienced guiding you - but once you've gotten things nailed down, it's good to be set free.
July 23, 2010 at 6:20 am
Another excellent editorial Steve!
I work in a ROW Environment now. I'm a manager and this is how I manage my team. In short, this works. Why? I have lots of opinions / guesses as to why - but the one that sticks is: ROWE empowers employees.
Empowering employees is the same reason kanban works in manufacturing - it puts the power to make decisions abotu quality in the hands of the peoplel closest to the output (product, issue to be resolved, SSIS package, etc).
:{> Andy
Andy Leonard, Chief Data Engineer, Enterprise Data & Analytics
July 23, 2010 at 6:33 am
Agree with core, if you can get your results in less than a standard day, great, then you can get DOUBLE the results if I make you sit at your cube all day long. (theory, not reality)
I would prefer ROWE, instead, I'm in the ROW environment. (ROW! *whip-crack* ROW! *whip-crack!*...)
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July 23, 2010 at 7:12 am
I've got to agree with another person that said ROWE will never be accepted. Most of the managers I've had are control freaks that need to be able step on somebody because it makes them feel like they are doing their jobs.
I think ROWE is a good idea but just don't think it will ever be widely accepted.
July 23, 2010 at 7:26 am
I'm not sure how well I'd do in ROWE. I like having the flexibility to work when, where, and how I want, but I also like having some structure too. I like the concept though. I think work should be results driven not time driven. Tell me what you need done by when and let me decide when and how to do it.
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July 23, 2010 at 7:29 am
I've always described myself as a Results-oriented manager... even when a company I work for doesn't have that policy in place, it's how I evaluate the folks who work for me. I honestly don't care what they're doing or how they do it, all I care about is the end-result of the work.
July 23, 2010 at 7:37 am
Jaysen Courmac (7/23/2010)
I've always described myself as a Results-oriented manager... even when a company I work for doesn't have that policy in place, it's how I evaluate the folks who work for me. I honestly don't care what they're doing or how they do it, all I care about is the end-result of the work.
Hmm, if you don't care what they're doing, then I'd venture to say you're not results-oriented. (you probably didn't really mean that the way it read)
(not directed at you, general statement) Lack of direction does not mean you're 'results-oriented' and somehow forward-thinking. The goal and priorities must be clear, however the schedule to complete them should be flexible and up to the staff.
---------------------------------------------------------
How best to post your question[/url]
How to post performance problems[/url]
Tally Table:What it is and how it replaces a loop[/url]
"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
July 23, 2010 at 7:41 am
Would ROWE function in a team-oriented environment? Probably not, and as some have already said, the people factor comes into play when it depends on how a manager would handle this. For a manager who is hands off, this might work well, for a manager who is a bit of a micro-manager, this would not work as well. So if ROWE were to work, it has to be implemented from the executive level and trickled down to have any real chance of working. When it's a team environment, I just see to many personalities/quirks getting in the way of this truly working.
July 23, 2010 at 7:54 am
Every manager I have ever asked about ROWE did not like it. Here is what some of them had to say about ROWE:
•Flexible work hours (Manager:"People tend to take advantage of this very quickly and you can't fire your entire staff.")
•Higher employee satisfaction (Manager:"Sure they are, when they can come and go as they want. But some jobs require my staff to be on site during business hours of operation, I can't spend hours trying to run people down when they are not answering their email or cell")
•Truly gives employees a work-life balance (Manager:"I'm in business to provide customer service to my clients. I am not in business to work around my employees personal life or issues)
•No more measuring clock time ( Manager: "I have to account for my employees time to my higher level managers as well as track their time for billing and administration purposes.")
•Less administrative paperwork (like processing time sheets, etc) (Manager: "I don't like timesheets anymore than anyone does, but my company requires knowing exactly who is working on what and how much time they are spending on it. ")
•Find out right away which employees aren’t pulling their weight (Manager: "I don't need to have my employees working from home to determine this.")
•Less stress for employers and employees (Manager: "Maybe for the employee, but when I have the CTO trying to find out where critical staff is when there is an emergency I can assure you that this does not help my stress levels.")
Here are the problems with ROWE::
•Output measurement is harder for some jobs when people are off-site and come and go as they want.
•Management can be challenging when most of your people are off-site, or not all together at the same time.
•Many managers and people have a harder time working with people without face-to-face interaction. This is a real big one for alot of managers.
•Employees that don't have the self-discipline to hold themselves accountable for getting their work done can take advantage of this quickly. Managers can't fire half their staff that takes advantage of this, and people do take advantage of this.
Don't get me wrong, as an employee I like ROWE. It's my manager that is not too hot about it. 😀 Like others have said, ROWE will never work mainstream.
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
July 23, 2010 at 7:57 am
Hmm, if you don't care what they're doing, then I'd venture to say you're not results-oriented. (you probably didn't really mean that the way it read)
(not directed at you, general statement) Lack of direction does not mean you're 'results-oriented' and somehow forward-thinking. The goal and priorities must be clear, however the schedule to complete them should be flexible and up to the staff.
Well, yes, if you stop reading right at "don't care what they're doing" then perhaps you might assume that. However, finishing with "the end-result of the work" might indicate that I've clearly set goals and priorities.
But I can see how you might not really understand that implication was there. I'm all about setting goals for people that match with the company's needs and the capabilities of the employees.
What I mean by "don't care what they're doing" is that I don't care minute-by-minute. A good example is an employee that I had who always met his goals -- he constantly achieved everything I could possibly ask him to do, and did so quickly and efficiently. However, every time I would walk over to his desk, I'd find him reading online comics. He was horribly embarrassed by the fact that I never actually "caught" him "working" but I knew that the results where what was important, and told him so.
I personally understand the need to refresh your brain between bouts of heavy work, but I know a lot of managers who only want to see you doing work if they walk up behind you at your desk.
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