Comments on: More on College as a Results-Only-Work-Environment (ROWE)

By: Adam McFarland

Adam McFarland — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 13:32:43 +0000

Your welcome Spencer. I did not know that there were touchscreen’s coming out next year…very cool! The only thing that stinks about netbooks is that they are evolving so fast. The eeePC 701 that I bought less than a year ago is obsolete now! Then again, I just use it as a computer to mess around with and install different Linux flavors on it so it’s not a huge deal. Right now I have gOS which I find to be my favorite spin-off of Ubuntu http://www.thinkgos.com/.

By: Spencer

Spencer — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 11:03:38 +0000

@Adam. Thanks for the compliments on my site. Eee’s are great aren’t they! Keep your eye out for the next-gen of Eee’s coming next year with touchscreens!

By: Leigh

Leigh — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:21:08 +0000

Thanks for the good wishes, Adam.

By: Adam McFarland

Adam McFarland — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:44:00 +0000

Wow Leigh, that is a great gig and a very nice little niche that you can dominate. Copywriting is something I never really thought of when it comes to this type of stuff. Congrats on creating your perfect job!

By: Leigh

Leigh — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:49:05 +0000

@ Adam – I’m a copywriter. I write mostly Web content for attorneys, but I also write e-books, special reports, sales letters, etc. The attorneys I work with tend to pay a premium for a knowledgeable writer, so where some of my fellow writers are struggling to find clients that will pay $8 or $10 per article, I was recently able to triple my rates and actually gain more clients as opposed to losing any. I guess you could say it’s a good niche.

By: How to Invest $15 - Adam McFarland

How to Invest $15 - Adam McFarland — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:27:41 +0000

[...] great example was on my last post. In the comments Travis asked me a question that immediately made me think of an article on Inc. I searched [...]

By: Adam McFarland

Adam McFarland — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 00:54:34 +0000

Travis – awesome to finally hear from you.

I agree, it’s much tougher to implement for people in those positions. As soon as I read your comment I thought “I read an article about this…” It took a while, but I found it http://www.inc.com/magazine/20080801/beyond-flextime.html

It’s actually another article about a company implementing ROWE from INC Magazine a few months back. They get into detail about how they even got the receptionist involved:

“Judy Wentlandt is J.A. Counter’s receptionist. The team could readily imagine the salespeople — many of whom already had flexible schedules — moving to ROWE. But a receptionist? Skoglund was adamant — yes, the receptionist. She wasn’t sure just how it would work; she told her staff members to figure it out. Two weeks later, they came back with a simple plan. When Wentlandt gave advance notice that she would be at home or off-site, volunteers would be asked to fill the receptionist’s role.

New technology allows all employees to view their desktop from any station in the office. The company is considering installing a new phone system that will allow Wentlandt to answer phones from off-site locations, giving her even more flexibility. “I don’t have the spontaneity that everyone else has,” Wentlandt says. “But if I need coverage, I get it.” She has left work to take her grandson to a museum and to attend her father’s birthday party. Before, she would have had to take vacation time or skip those events.”

Give the article a read, it’s pretty interesting stuff. A great case study in a mid-size company that switched successfully to a ROWE

Adam

By: Travis

Travis — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:16:36 +0000

Great Post, Adam. I am a long time reader, but first time commenter.

I can see how ROWE can work for a sales/consultant model, but I am struggling to see how it could work for admin/customer service type positions where a phone needs to be manned from 9-5.

Any insight would be appreciated!

Best,
Travis

By: Adam McFarland

Adam McFarland — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 14:18:44 +0000

@Leigh – very, very cool. What type of business if you don’t mind my asking? If you don’t want to post here you can drop me an email (adam [at] adam-mcfarland [dot] net). I’m always fascinated by someone who has mastered the art of minimizing work and maximizing results.

@Spencer – thanks for reading, glad to have you as a new subscriber. What you did by quitting your job takes a ton of guts…congrats! Btw http://www.electricvagabond.com/ is a very cool site. I have an eeepc myself and I love it, it’s so much fun to mess around with.

By: Spencer

Spencer — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 04:59:20 +0000

I quit a corporate job for a big international banking company after reading Tim’s book. I’m trying desperately to find a ROWE (I live in Melbourne, Australia) but down here its very traditional and especially in banking! 60 hour weeks where you don’t see your friends or family? Here’s a badge!

Everything in Tim’s book rings true to me but obviously the older baby boomer generation who are in charge of all the companies nowadays feel threatened that their old way of doing business is absolutely meaningless and redundant. So change doesn’t happen.

I loved the ROWE of college – it fitted me perfectly. If the results were slipping I’d drop a paper, or pick up one if I felt like I could comfortably cope. Transition to corporate life is difficult especially with all the political ’sludge’ that goes with it.

Good blog – Subscribed.