Sludge and the Daily Episcopalian
June 25th, 2008 by Cali & Jody
We were pleased to see this post at Episcopal Cafe for two reasons. First, we love hearing other people’s Sludge examples. Lying about being in a meeting because you want to finish your chicken avocado salad is a new one for us, even if the reason behind the lie makes sense. This anecdote is an example of Sludge Anticipation, which is any time you have a socially acceptable excuse ready to cover your ass for when you’re doing something that is socially unacceptable at work. (Like enjoying food when you “should” be working.)
The second reason we were happy to see this post is because ROWE started at a corporation, but the basic principles behind it (that people are adults who should be trusted to do their work and then left alone to live their lives) could apply to other areas of our life. In our conversations with employees at Best Buy, we often heard stories about how the ROWE mindset had started to influence the other aspects of people’s lives.
We know it’s early to be talking about the second wave of ROWE, but then again, why not? And so we’d like to put a question to you:
If you lived in a Results-Only world, how might your life be different? What would your day be like if you had a Results-Only marriage, family, neighborhood association, school board, etc.?
I know that I would love to be in a ROWE, but my management would never go for it. They won’t even take advice on small things.
I guess I should never say never because who knows they might actually want to start making their employees happy.
The best of employees - those people who want to perform, produce, make a difference and deliver on their promises - these employees are excited to see a work environment based upon results only. Face time is overrated and is only propigated by anxiety-ridden supervisors concerned about their own performance.
ROWE could be an indespensible component of creating a great workplace that attracts the best and brightest people.
I think for life, perhaps the phrases might be adapted to ‘joy-only’ or ‘integrity-only’ (and a few more I can’t think of at this hour). If something doesn’t bring happiness to your family, you, or the world (because you feel you should or have to do it), then maybe it is not worth doing.
I do nonprofit consulting and serve on several nonprofit boards, and they do a lot of non-results oriented things. However, legally nonprofits are required to do fulfill certain requirements, and organize things certain ways, which are not results oriented. I think part of the ROWE challenge will be helping not only organizational cultures but laws and regulations catch up… It is an exciting time with the merger of non-profit, for-profit, and for-benefit businesses, but our nonprofit regulations are trapped in a 9-5 world.