We talk a lot (I hope not too much) about how Ripplers love working in a results-only work environment. We really do. But there’s still a number of people I know who just can’t wrap their heads around the concept; let alone understand why I’d choose to write a blog post at 9PM on a Saturday night. Truth is, the ROWE experience is different for every individual. That’s the point. Focussing solely on results and not a timecard allows people the freedom to have a real, satisfying work/life balance.
As a content creator working for a b2b IT service provider, my schedule is a bit more flexible than say one of the guys on the Support Team. It’s their job to solve problems for our clients, most of which maintain a 9-5 schedule. So, Support tends to work those hours, though they’re certainly able to do the things they need to anytime with some simple communication. And, like myself, they can do most of what they do from anywhere including the office, their home or a park bench (provided they have a long enough extension cord).
I’m a late riser. More accurately I’m a night owl, but also a fanatical worker. Once I’m in the groove, I can write, edit, and design for hours on end, day or night. My fiancee is accustomed to seeing me in front of my laptop typing away well after midnight with just a pitcher of water on the desk and my dog by my feet. But there’s a certain stigma attached to waking up at any hour after 9 AM and tackling work late at night. At other companies I’d likely be branded “lazy” and “not a team player”.. no matter how great my work is, or whether it’s completed on time. That doesn’t make any sense to me, and thankfully Ripple sees it the same way. I can, and often do the majority of my content creation and other tasks from home. I usually go into the office a few times a month for meetings, to connect with coworkers, and when I need to force one of my fellow Ripplers to get on camera for another video.
But the perks of working from home are just half of my ROWE experience. The real joy I feel comes from being trusted to do my work wherever and whenever I want to, so long as I get the job done. It’s amazing how just being treated like an adult and not a presumed thief has affected how I feel about the work I do and the people with whom I work. It’s a great feeling and a true motivator to say the least.
It’s possible that ROWE might not work for every company, everywhere in the world. But here’s my general advice to skeptics: Since results are what really matter, let the focus be on them alone. If you’ve hired the right people to get those results and given them the right tools to get their jobs done, they’ll thrive both personally and professionally like never before.
For more, watch the ROWE webinar with CEO Mike Landman: