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Cali & Jody

Cali and Jody, Founders of CultureRx and Innovators of ROWE

It’s Not The Free (It’s The Money)Yesterday

As we wrote in a previous post, we are part of an incredible opportunity:

Thanks to a grant from the United States Department of Transportation, we have the funding to take a number of Twin Cities companies and transform their traditional work environments into a Results-Only Work Environment. The idea is to help reduce traffic congestion on the major highway corridors by giving people control over their time.

No 9-5 = no rush hour = pouring less concrete to meet traffic demands = no more smog/choked highways = happy planet.

Since we made this announcement, we’ve had a number of companies start to come on board, but we still have more openings. At first, we were surprised not to be deluged. After all, there is no financial risk for companies to get involved. There is a chance to do something for the larger good. And since the grant takes care of everything, it’s absolutely free!

But then we realized that there is more at work here than cost. It’s like when you put out a sign that says “Free Puppies”. Yes, the puppy doesn’t cost money, and yes, the puppy is cute and lovable, and yes, it will bring joy to your family. But puppies also bring CHANGE. Some of that change is good (”Just wook at da widdle guy!”) and some of that change is not so good (”Pick him up! Pick him up! He’s going on the carpet!”).

Of course, w

Don’t Settle For “Flexible”November 19

This summer, when gas was $4 a gallon, a number of state governments turned to telecommuting and compressed work weeks as a way of reducing costs. Since then, we’ve been tracking the happenings in states like Utah, where we found this post about the economics of Utah’s 4-day workweek. (Thanks, Utah Economist!)

The Utah Economist puts the idea of non-traditional work cultures in terms of self-selection. He notes that different people have different preferences when it comes to work. Some warm to the idea of a compressed week, while others prefer 9-5.

He then says that “[t]he more general lesson for management is that employees are going to self-select to any workplace feature you offer. As a result, your employees are going to like any feature you offer much more than the average person likes that feature.”

But the problem with preference and compressed work weeks is that even if the larger marketplace offers a wider variety of choices, these choices are still based on old-fashioned ideas about time. One company may offer four 10-hour days, or the opportunity to work 7-4 instead of 8-5. But even if you slice it differently, it’s still the same 40-hour loaf we’ve been eating for the past 75 years.

In our minds, there’s really only one common sense choice that should be out there in the first place: schedule control. You set your own schedule based

The ROWE ListNovember 17

For us, this is a very exciting day. Six years ago in our cubes at Best Buy, we started dreaming up the vision for what we thought work should look and feel like. As we daydreamed about the future, one of our far-reaching fantasies was that one day, people would be asking us where the ROWE companies were. Every time we get an e-mail with that question, and every time we see it on this blog, we grin because we know we’ve reached an important milestone. ROWE is standing on its own. It has its own life. And it’s something people want.

Today, we’re unveiling a few companies that are exploring ROWE. These organizations have been utilizing the ROWE Launch Kit: Office Edition and have said they are far enough along in the process that we can share their information. So without any further ado…here they are:

South Metro Human Services

Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council

And, of course, the companies that came before these: Best Buy Corporate and

Interview with Pam Slim - Part 2November 14

And now…the second part of our interview with Pam Slim. We hope her insights and stories are helpful to those of you that are wavering on the “Should I stay in my job or venture out on my own?” line. She is one of the few folks that shoots straight about the entrepreneurial experience, and we love that about her. Enjoy!

C&J: You’re writing a book, Escape from Cubicle Nation, due out in Spring 2009. The title says a lot. What are you hoping people will be thinking and doing after they read it?

Pam: Based on my own history, I hope two things: that it will give pause to the spontaneous job-quitters like me, and will give inspiration to the overly-pragmatic planners who stay stuck in an unhealthy situation for far too long. The book details the whole journey from corporate employee to entrepreneur in a pragmatic, humorous and realistic fashion. I hope to counter the nonsense that permeates the internet which says that it is fantastically easy to make six figures a year in your bathrobe by just purchasing someone’s 12-part business system. At the same time, I want to shine the light on a thriving, creative and interesting entrepreneurial world that many corporate employees don’t even know exists. We are at a time in history when it is really possible to create a healthy, profitable business for minimal investment using existing technology. The tools are not the hard part - discovering a great business idea that inspires you an

Interview with Pam Slim - Part 1November 11

We’re excited to be able to share an interview with our friend and fellow rabble-rouser, Pam Slim. In an attempt to share experiences with you of how people “deal” with their work situations, we thought Pam’s story and what she’s up to would be something you’d enjoy. In addition to a blog titled “Escape From Cubicle Nation“, Pam has a book by the same name being released in May 2009. She is a fresh voice that has found happiness outside the corporate walls, and may provide inspiration to some of you that are questioning whether to strike out on your own.

C&J: You left Corporate America in 1996 to start following your own path. Tell us a little bit about your experiences and about the moment you made the decision to leave your job.

Pam: Many people assume by the title of my blog that I was a frustrated and disgruntled employee. Actually, I adored my last corporate job for most of the time that I was there. What changed, and what precipitated the move to entrepreneurship, is that my company went through a merger. My immediate management team all left and it felt like the incoming team was intent on dis