London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

These employers don't care when or where you work

Results-only work environment (ROWE) is a management strategy that focuses on results and employees' performance, not where and when people work.

Susan Hoaby recently learned from Instagram that one of her employees was in Paris.

But that wasn't surprising she doesn't worry about when and where her employees work.

Her company, JL Buchanan, employs a results-only work environment (ROWE), a management strategy that focuses on results and employees' performance, not where and when people work.

"That is the power of trust," said Hoaby, who is the CEO of the retail consulting firm. "She is in Paris, but I know her job is still getting done. She might be doing some [work], coworkers might be shoring her up, but I am not worried about that. I am trusting she took the trip with everything in order."

In a ROWE, employees don't have to request to leave early, or work from home or even from a different country.
"Each person is 100% accountable and 100% autonomous, which means I am self-governing and independent," said Jody Thompson, principal of CultureRx, who also helped create the concept of ROWE.

Generally, ROWEs still have physical offices for employees, but Thompson explained that the need for dedicated work spaces tends to decline.

"Real estate costs can drop significantly in a ROWE since people have let go of work as a place you 'go,' but rather as something you 'do,'" she said.

Hoaby transformed JL Buchanan into a ROWE in 2009 and said employee engagement, productivity and efficiency has increased, along with its profits and top line sales.

The idea of ROWE seems simple, but it can be challenging to implement. It means giving up the deeply ingrained notion that the best employees are the ones who are always at their desks. It also means surrendering any guilt that comes with attending a child's school function in the middle of the day or hitting the gym in the afternoon.

And it requires removing any judgment or questioning of other workers when they leave the office.
In a ROWE, employees have unlimited vacation days with no need for approval.


Giving workers complete autonomy

WATT Global Media, a content and marketing services company in the agribusiness industry, implemented ROWE in 2012, following a big transformation period with several new hires.

CEO Greg Watt was worried about retention. Not only has the shift been good for retaining employees, it's also been a great recruitment tool, he said.

"Butts in seats doesn't create good work. It gives you the perception, but it doesn't necessarily drive excellent performance," said Watt.

ROWE gives workers' complete autonomy, but to be successful workers need to have clear and detailed goals and metrics, Thompson said.

"I have to know exactly what I am getting paid for in terms of measurable results." Results are the only thing employees are being measured by, so they have to be clear.

Employees at WATT have become more involved in setting goals and objectives to determine what is achievable, and everyone is on the same page on exactly what is expected by when.

"Goals are now created bottom-up and not top-down," Watt said. "For too many years, it was the same establishment of goals, but now it's a two-way dialogue."

While most employees enjoy the freedom that ROWEs allow, managers tend to have a harder time adjusting to the new working style.

"They are used to having control," said Thompson. "They have risen up the ranks by being able to control people, and now they have to be really good at the work and deliver measurable results and some managers get wigged out by that."

Managers need to become "results coaches" in these workplaces since regular check-ins with employees to review progress and performances are a big part of ROWE. They are there to help workers be their most productive and help solve any issues or problems that come up. In a ROWE, the hierarchy feels more horizontal than vertical, Thompson explained.

"In a ROWE, you are constantly asking: Is this the right goal? Do we have the right measure? There has to be constant course correction to make sure you aren't wasting your time," she said.

A ROWE goes beyond achieving the so-called work-life balance.

"This is the best solution to work that meets life, it's work-life integration," said Lana Jones, vice president of talent and culture at JL Buchanan.

But just because workers have more freedom, doesn't mean they're working any less.

"I work harder in this job than I probably have in my 25-year plus career," said Jones. "It's about working smarter, not less."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×