ROWE - An Alternative Business Model

After reading about Best Buy's experiment with a ROWE (Results Only Work Environment) on Tim Ferris' blog yesterday (Part One, Part Two), I started thinking about my job specifically. It started on my commute to work, and when I got in to the office, part two of this article had been posted, and I had messages from 80% of the team that I work with saying that they would be working from home (WFH) for today. Well, it WAS a Friday before a long weekend, but that is not really relevant to this...

I then had the following IM conversation with my (ostensible) supervisor, who is a peer (except maybe on an org. chart):

Me: Why am I here?
Me: And I don't mean that in the metaphysical sense!
My supervisor: hahaha you must be all alone
Me: Why is my meat in this specific chair, today (right now)? Almost everyone that I interact with has sent out a WFH message, and this is not going to change one iota the amount of work we get done as a team today. That's pretty cool, but why am _I_ still sitting in a chair in the office? Maybe the answer to that question, from [My Boss], would be better than a raise?
My supervisor: [Co-worker] isn't in yet?
Me: Don't think so, but then I just got here.
My supervisor: hahaha ok
My supervisor: yep
Me: I was already thinking this on the way to BART. I saw myself, walking a meat bag to a transport system to go put my butt in a chair, miles from where I slept. And all I could think was, "I could already be at "work", so why I am I transporting all this meat to the city?"
My supervisor: lol
My supervisor: you are in the transport business and didn't even know it!
Me: Well, I am, but I know I am an "Idea Trucker". Why do I have to be a meat trucker as well?
My supervisor: yup
My supervisor: you need mudflaps

I really like the idea of mental mudflaps, though I have no idea what they would look like.

So, 41% increase in productivity, after letting go the people who are not the best fit for the team, by empowering and respecting your employees. In exchange the company get improved retention and productivity. Why isn't every company doing this?

Oh, and the "Idea Trucker" concept will be the subject of an upcoming post.

Discuss