It’s Not The Free (It’s The Money)
November 21st, 2008 by Cali & Jody
As we wrote in a previous post, we are part of an incredible opportunity:
Thanks to a grant from the United States Department of Transportation, we have the funding to take a number of Twin Cities companies and transform their traditional work environments into a Results-Only Work Environment. The idea is to help reduce traffic congestion on the major highway corridors by giving people control over their time.
No 9-5 = no rush hour = pouring less concrete to meet traffic demands = no more smog/choked highways = happy planet.
Since we made this announcement, we’ve had a number of companies start to come on board, but we still have more openings. At first, we were surprised not to be deluged. After all, there is no financial risk for companies to get involved. There is a chance to do something for the larger good. And since the grant takes care of everything, it’s absolutely free!
But then we realized that there is more at work here than cost. It’s like when you put out a sign that says “Free Puppies”. Yes, the puppy doesn’t cost money, and yes, the puppy is cute and lovable, and yes, it will bring joy to your family. But puppies also bring CHANGE. Some of that change is good (”Just wook at da widdle guy!”) and some of that change is not so good (”Pick him up! Pick him up! He’s going on the carpet!”).
Of course, what we’re offering is much better than a free puppy, but we also understand that “free” and the greater good aren’t always the motivators we think they are. We humans have a way of calculating the hidden costs of our decisions (the puppy costs) that can influence our decisions in ways we might not imagine.
And so we’re going to make our case again. Not based on cost. Not based on the environment. We’re making our case for participation in our ROWE pilot because it will improve your bottom line.
Companies in a ROWE enjoy:
Increased efficiency
Increased productivity
Increased retention
Increased employee morale
Reduced stress
Just like you don’t want to get that puppy to teach your kids “responsibility”, don’t get in touch with us for abstract reasons. Ring us up because you’ll be making a good business decision. Yes, you’ll be making changes to your company’s culture, but that culture will reap concrete rewards. And in this economy, what could be better than that?
“No 9-5 = no rush hour = pouring less concrete to meet traffic demands = no more smog/choked highways = happy planet.”
I agree with the first half of this- I think it should read:
“No 9-5 = no rush hour = more time= productivity (in work and private life) increases.”
Let’s stick to the real function of ROWE and keep the environmentalism out, shall we?
Cali and Jody:
As you can probably guess I’m always on the lookout for a way to introduce ROWE into the mindshare of the management strata in Nashville, TN. The CHANGE you mention SHOULD be more acceptable to folks touting innovation, so please consider whether this Nashville Technology Council hosted event would make sense for a ROWE presentation (assuming you’re not already booked for the dates):
Speakers needed for the 5th Annual Innovation Conference!
March 12th, 2009 — Franklin, TN, Marriott, Cool Springs
The Innovation Conference is an educational event that focuses on the latest & greatest technological advances and future technologies that will be available within 1-3 years to adopters. Over 250 attendees visit the conference each year with at least a dozen sponsor companies supporting the event.
Submit your ideas to kbittorie@technologycouncil.com by sending the name of the proposed speaker and a 3-4 sentence abstract, including a speech title, on what he / she would present.
Submissions are due by December 12th. Please be aware that any speeches including sales pitches will not be considered.
Bring ROWE to Madison!
[...] das nicht besser? Zwei Jahre Marketing, und mehr kam nicht dabei heraus? Eine Antwort lässt sich hier erahnen: Trotz einer staatlichen Förderung, die solche ROWE-Projekte für die Firmen kostenlos [...]