Why Works Sucks and How to Fix It

A few weeks ago I wrote a post on Best Buy. As a result of that post I met Cali and Jody of Best Buy's ROWE (Results Only Work Environment) fame. They've just published a book Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It and I was lucky enough to get an advance copy (thank you). I hope, if only for my own selfish reasons, that every manager and HR person pick up this book and become inspired to start moving to a ROWE environment in their departments and/or companies. With Best Buy's reported productivity increases (41 percent) and reduced turnover results (as much as 90 percent) it's hard not to be inspired.

ROWE could also be the thing to help employers win over and retain the Millennials now entering the workplace. A generation according to 60 minutes who unlike their parents, demands a better work/life balance.

Interested in hearing more - Timothy Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek has an exclusive first interview with Cali and Jody on his blog.

Best Buy, Blueshirtnation and CultureRX

The Minneapolis, St. Paul Business Journal ran a great article this past Friday on Best Buy’s employee social networking site blueshirtnation.com. It’s one more example of Best Buy’s visionary approach to HR. By using technology to creatively solve HR pain points Best Buy has become a thought leader in employee relations.

Another example of Best Buy’s forethought is its Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) experiment where employees set their own schedules and work where they want. That venture was successful enough to result in a spin-off – CultureRX.

Perhaps we’ll soon see a spin-off from the creators of blueshirtnation.com. At the very least, let Best Buy inspire you to create a new solution to solve a work environment pain point. Then rethink the out-of-organization potential your idea might hold.

Image credit: Ian Muttoo