Why Managing Sucks and How to Fix It

Change the way you think about work (and life) by focusing on results—and only results Why Managing Sucks and How to Fix It shows how the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE) mindset can make you or your organization more entrepreneurial, more connected with the broader trends in your industry, and more willing to take smart risks. It explains how to set clear expectations and focus on the endpoint as opposed to managing the process that gets you there. With eyes set on getting rid of distractions, long meetings, and unnecessary updates, this book offers quick, everyday strategies to experience huge increases in productivity (without adding resources) and dramatic drops in turnover. Authors Ressler and Thompson began their work together at Best Buy where they are credited with revolutionizing the workplace Reframes thinking away from counting on general availability (Where's Bob?) to creating clear expectations (Does Bob know exactly what's expected of him?) Explains how to reduce the number of meetings while increasing their quality Shows how to eliminate scheduled events in order to increase critical thinking and improve communication ROWE is a bold, cultural transformation that permeates the attitudes and operating style of an entire workplace, leveling the playing field and giving people complete autonomy—to manage their measurable results using adult common sense.

Acknowledgments vii Introduction 1 Chapter 1 Wake Up! Go Beyond Telework 21 Creating an Accountability Culture by Karren Fink 55 Chapter 2 Motivate Me. No Pizza Party, Please 63 The Importance of Trust by Bryan Sivak 98 Chapter 3 S.M.A.R.T. Goals ¼ Senseless Minutia Against Random Tasks 105 Down with Billable Hours, Up with Results by Otmara “Omi” Diaz-Cooper and Todd Cooper 137 Chapter 4 24/7 Kicks 9–5’s Ass 143 Focus on What Matters by Greg Watt 169 Chapter 5 No More Bullshit Meetings. Period. 177 Delighting the Customer by Ronnie Wooten 201 Chapter 6 Results. Not for Every Job? 207 Results-Only Competency-Based Education by Jeff Herzberg 237 ROWE in the Public Sector by Nancy Dietl Griffin 244 Epilogue 256 About the Authors 272 Index 273