GO R.O.W.E

i have been enamored by a seemingly endless list of topics in the first weeks of this new year. it seems as though every time i sit down in a book store, breeze by the checkout magazine racks or hop on the ole' interwebs i am bombarded by information that i didn't even know i wanted.

yesterday, while watching many a TED Talk (and multi-tasking of course) i came across dan pink's "talk" about the surprising science of motivation. as generation y-er myself, this didn't really seem like late breaking news to me. in fact, i can vividly recall many a lunch break at my previous job spent pontificating on this very topic with my co-workers. seriously, we could go on-and-on about all the reasons why what mr. pink is saying about this movement is right on target.

so what is R.O.W.E.? RESULTS-ONLY WORK ENVIRONMENT
in the most basic terms - R.O.W.E is getting paid for performing. seems pretty simple right? just 3 simple building blocks. 

AUTONOMY

MASTERY

PURPOSE

employees are evaluated on performance, not presence. in a R.O.W.E. people focus on results and only results – increasing the organization’s performance while creating the right climate for people to manage all the demands in their lives . . . including work. this is how you achieve what i have always believes is everyone's ultimate goal -- a positive work/life balance. it provides employees the opportunity to set their own priorities, yet still be held accountable for the work (output) they have agreed to do in order to earn that all in important paycheck. whether you power toward the deadline while burning the midnight oil because you are night-owl & procrastinator like me, or you wake up early, diligently devote an allotted amount of time to your work and then enjoy the rest of your day ... either way, the work is getting done, the results are the same and you feel empowered over your life. 


it's a revolution in the way society thinks about "work" in the traditional sense. everyone is always worried about how the newest generation of workers will integrate into the systems that already exist. well i say ... BUST OUT people. let your boundaries on this subject be budged just a little and consider the possibilities a work environment like this would make possible in your own life. 


i love it. it sounds like my perfect utopian work environment.
ps: have you ever heard of the candle problem?