The Benefits of Implementing a ROWE
3,125 Hours.
That was the amount of time I spent in a car driving to and from work for the last five years. This is the equivalent of 130 days behind the wheel. I spent 4.3 months on the highway between home and work. That sounds crazy right? That is more than twice the average commute time in the U.S. of around 55 minutes round trip per day. When the opportunity arose to look for a change in my career my number one requirement for a new position was it had to be something close to home.
As I started to look, LinkedIn alerted me to a position at Chartwell Agency. Working with them in the past, I really admired the team and the work that they did so I was excited to reach out to them. There was one aspect in their job listing that really caught my eye, and it had me very excited to meet with them. They talked about how they had implemented “R.O.W.E.” six years prior.
A Results-Only-Work-Environment (ROWE) is a cutting-edge way to structure your company’s workday. It is basically the concept that your results are the only thing that matters. As long as you are meeting your deadlines, the customer’s needs are being met and exceeded, and you are 100% accountable to your team then you will be successful in implementing the ROWE system. This type of working environment allows you to complete your work when you are at your best, which isn’t necessarily between the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. You are not tied to your desk. You can work from your home, a coffee shop, the beach, a hot air balloon, or wherever you do your best work. This type of working environment leads to all kinds of benefits for you, your employees, and your customers.
The fact that a company’s employees are free to complete their tasks on their own schedules, as long as deadlines are being met and outcomes achieved, has been shown to actually increase productivity and the benefits do not stop there. Employees are happier which leads to lower turnover rates, less “sick” days, more satisfaction with work, and far less stress. Since your employees can work from wherever they want you need less office space and infrastructure which can lower your expenses. All of this leads to the ultimate goal, better results for your customers. The ROWE system has major benefits for employers, employees, customers, and I can tell you it has been a fantastic change for me.
I have been operating in the Results-Only-Work-Environment for four months and during that time my commute of over 2.5 hours a day round trip as been reduced to about a 20-second round trip as I walk from my kitchen to my desk at home. I had to fill up my vehicle twice a week with premium fuel and now I am averaging once a month for a fill-up. More than that, the freedom to schedule my work time around my personal life has made me happier, less stressed, and I find my work more fulfilling. If your company or organization needs award winning marketing, public relations, design work, and more contact us today and let us put our “ROWE” to work for you!
