Results Only

On Orkut Manish Manke pointed me to this article that shows how Best Buy has done away with focusing on "the steps" and instead have started focusing on "the outcomes".

The official policy for this post-face-time, location-agnostic way of working is that people are free to work wherever they want, whenever they want, as long as they get their work done. "This is like TiVo for your work," says the program's co-founder, Jody Thompson.

and

Since the program's implementation, average voluntary turnover has fallen drastically, CultureRx says. Meanwhile, Best Buy notes that productivity is up an average 35% in departments that have switched to ROWE. Employee engagement, which measures employee satisfaction and is often a barometer for retention, is way up too, according to the Gallup Organization, which audits corporate cultures.

We know that it's common sense. Tell talented people what you desire for them to achieve, what tools they'll need to get there, and then get out of the way. The success of such a Results Oriented Work Environment (ROWE) is gratifying to read about.

However, one caution before your firm decides to launch such an initiative. You must get the right people into the right jobs.

Easier said than done !