Nibbling by SquirrelStalker on deviantart.com
Since I began blogging about ROWE a little while back, I’ve had a few emails from folks who have expressed that they have attempted to introduce ROWE in their own workplaces, only to find supervisors whose minds are closed to the concept (a situation I understand entirely). Typically, the supervisor / manager / business owner will state, even if he or she has bothered to become familiar with the concept is, “That will never work here.” The idea then is discarded, to wither and die on the slag heap of management indifference.
Unfortunately, what these folks fail to realize, is that no one is telling them that they need to jump into the new idea with both feet. All that they are being asked to do is to 1) familiarize themselves with the idea, 2) consider the possibilities, 3) identify what would be required to make it happen – which is not the same thing as granting permission to do it. Think of this as assessing the ROI. 4) Test the idea and see what happens in a controlled experiment.
Honestly, that’s all there is to it. For one, any kind of change should be entered into gradually whenever possible. While we tend to idolize those who make bold changes for their pioneering spirit, we also tend to forget that for every successful venture, 100 failed one lie in its wake. Truth is, the importance of the PDCA-cycle increases as the certainty of the outcome decreases.
It reminds me of a rule we instituted in our house a few years ago when our son was becoming a picky eater. It is this: ”If you give something new an honest try, but find that you don’t like the taste so much that you simply can’t eat it, no one’s going to make you eat the whole thing. But, you can’t just nibble around the edges. You have to give it an honest try, first.” It has worked wonderfully over the years. Along the way, we’ve discovered that he likes cauliflower, while I refuse to eat it. I like asparagus and green beans – he’s not so big on them. He’ll also eat mexican, chinese, mediterranean, bar-b-que, lobster, fish, and on and on.
Perhaps a bit contrary to conventional thinking, it’s not about allowing him the freedom to explore. It’s about allowing him the freedom to return home.
And that’s all it takes to initiate change – an honest try, and a sense of trust.
About the author David M. Kasprzak
I am a seasoned project and management analyst with over 14 years of experience as a trusted advisor to all levels on planning, measuring and analyzing activities. From small-scale internal projects to multi-year development efforts supporting enterprise-wide initiatives at the C-level, I “get geeky” seeing great management practices yield great outcomes. I am a fierce & vocal advocate for learning, collaborative approaches to work and pursuing Operational Excellence through challenging the status quo and fostering management innovation
