Dear Matt: I just read the book "Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It." It talked about a work atmosphere that rewarded work done and not time in the office. It's called ROWE - the Results-Only Work Environment. How could I bring this up where I work? How do I approach a company with an idea like this and do you think they would be receptive to this idea?

Matt: The first thing I will say is that this method won't work for every workplace. The second thing is if you do think it will fit - why not go for it? Many organizations oppose change and aren't open to new ideas - but if you can present the positives and potential successes of this to company leaders, just maybe you can generate a ROWE-oriented movement.

Twin Cities HR guru Arlene Vernon assists organizations with employee-relation solutions. I agree with her when she says that because the concept is in its infancy, it's important to do extensive background work on this method to set the stage for the discussion with company leaders.

Once you've mastered the concepts through research, take a hard look at your organization. Is the concept a good fit for the business? Can you serve your internal and external customers effectively with normal business and office hours? Can the jobs and responsibilities be perfor- med off- and on-site? Would this work in some departments but not in others?

"Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It" authors Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson are located in St. Paul (www.culturerx.com). Their research shows that if you work in an office environment, ROWE can be successful at improving productivity by an average of 41 percent. It can also increase employee engagement and morale, and improve retention, studies show.

Vernon, Ressler and Thompson all say you should be prepared to have the idea initially denied by company leaders. You'll likely hear something like "that won't work here" because moving into a ROWE requires significant paradigm shifts that must be appropriately paced and guided in order to be successful.

Liz Beckius, culture program manager at Best Buy, which has successfully implemented a ROWE program at its corporate headquarters in Richfield, says the key to getting this program implemented is helping your manager understand what a ROWE is really about. Again, it goes back to planning and research.

"What company would not want its employees to focus on results?" says Beckius.

TIPS:

  • Find out why this process works in organizations currently implementing ROWE and why it may not be effective in other areas of the business. Learn about the metrics the ROWE organizations are using to assess employee productivity. The more quantifiable employee results, the easier it may be to implement ROWE.
  • Document everything you're learning along the way. Consider creating a report or study showing your research in case your organization's leaders want to know on what basis you're making this suggestion. Merely getting excited about a concept won't cut it. You need to be the expert, not only in the ROWE principles, but also in how the principles apply to your organization.
  • Consider the credibility of the individual introducing the ROWE model to leadership. The messenger must be extremely well respected, with a reputation of achieving results and accomplishing objectives, viewed as a leader by others. Otherwise, if the concept is presented by someone who isn't viewed as giving his or her all to the organization, then the message could be doomed from the start. Imagine someone with an attendance and/or attitude problem proposing flexible unsupervised work hours.

Matt Krumrie is a freelance writer from Inver Grove Heights, and has nine years of experience reporting on the employment industry. The first Sunday of each month this column will answer readers' questions. E-mail questions or subject ideas to askmatt@startribune.com.