Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It: No Schedules, No Meetings, No Joke--the Simple Change That Can Make Your Job Terrific

by Cali Ressler, Jody Thompson

Do you hate cramming all of your errands into the weekend?

Do you resent having to beg permission to watch your kid’s weekday soccer game?

Are you tired of seeing people who aren’t very good at their jobs get promoted because they arrive early and stay late?

There’s got to be a better way—and there is! Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson show that everyone benefits when we change the focus from hours to outcomes. It’s just that our traditional definition of work—Monday through Friday, nine to five—doesn’t make sense in the always-on global economy.

So, Ressler and Thompson created the Results-Only Work Environment. In a ROWE, you control when, where, and how long you work. As long as you meet your objectives, the way you spend your time is entirely up to you.

Suddenly, work isn’t a place you go , it’s a thing you do . In a ROWE, there are no mandatory meetings or fixed schedules. You stop doing any activity that wastes time, and no one criticizes you for “leaving early” or “coming in late.” If you do your best work at midnight or on Sundays, go for it!

ROWE sounds like a fantasy, but Ressler and Thompson have already made it a reality at Best Buy, a Fortune 100 company. They have proven that ROWE not only makes employees happier but also delivers better results . And now the authors are helping companies implement ROWE nationwide.

Infused with passion and common sense, Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It will change the way you think about your job, your company, and your quality of life. Read it and join the revolution!

Genres: Business, Nonfiction, Management, Leadership, Productivity, Self Help, Audiobook

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2008

Reviews

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm really conflicted on this one. On one hand, I think ROWE is a completely revolutionary concept and this book is the best thing you can read to get up to speed on it. However, I think this book also takes an overly simplistic approach. The constant phrase throughout the book was "as long as work gets done" with very little attention given to the quality of the work or whether the "work getting done" is truly the optimal outcome. I also question how well ROWE works in big companies vs. small companies. That wasn't addressed at all. Overall, a good book and worthwhile read but rather than re-hashing the same point over and over again there should have been a deeper look at ROWE (and especially ROWE-related issues).

[Val Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I first read this book, I thought, "Well, that's a great idea, but I don't think it would work in my field (architecture). But the more I thought about it afterwards, the more sense it made and the more it really COULD work in just about any field. The first few chapters made me angry, as I read about why indeed work sucks. But then, the authors provide the reader with the 13 Guideposts of ROWE to help them envision how work can be better. Funny, I just realized today that ROWE is exactly what I used to think being on salary was as a kid and teenager: you're paid to do the work, not to give a set amount of time. The work takes as long as it takes, and if you're done before the deadline, then cheers to you. I checked it out of the library, read it, then bought myself a copy. It was THAT good.

[Emil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I gave the book four stars, but the concept the book explores, the Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE), gets a full five stars. The authors are the HR professionals responsible for the development and implementation of ROWE at Best Buy Corporate HQ, and their creation is truly revolutionary.

In Why Work Sucks, Ressler and Thompson outline a cultural transformation away from time-based labor in the Information Economy. Making the very cogent argument that "working hours" or the "business day" make very little (if any) sense in a global market dealing in abstract information, they elucidate the key elements defining a ROWE and the process of transforming the culture of a workplace. In addition to their own perspective, each chapter is preceded by an anecdote from a Best Buy employee describing their experience of ROWE.

The book is targeted to a business audience with a relative short attention span: Many of the concepts are brought up again and again. However, given the depth of the transformation ROWE requires and how foreign many of the concepts are in many work environments, that sort of repetition is probably valuable for a lot of readers.

What interested me in particular was the historical significance of their revolution. With the development of capitalism and the Industrial Revolution, workers moved from task-oriented labor to time-oriented labor. According to one author, the transformation took about one generation to take hold in England. How long will it take for this new shift to take hold in the US?

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book during the coronavirus pandemic.

It’s interesting because so many companies have had to force this flexible working culture to survive — when before it was something that apparently “just doesn’t work” or when people were able to work remotely some days, it was ‘banter’ to joke about how they’re not actually doing any work.

Because of where we find ourselves in now, it’s interesting how flexible working culture has become the forefront of everything. IT is possible to work effectively remotely. It always was.

Overall I really enjoyed reading this — especially in the current landscape that we’re in now. There are a lot of concepts and ideas here that we’re now forced to think about! Really interesting.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this, it's so hard to go to work every day and spend energy trying to fill up time when I'm not working on anything specific. The premise of the book is that we are adults, and our employers should treat us as such. As long as the work is getting done, it doesn't matter where or when it happens. It's revolutionary, and everyone who has a job or has people that work for them should read it.

[Wendy Yu · Rating 1 out of 5]

Parts of my company are switching to "Results Oriented Work Environment" (ROWE) and it's been the talk for awhile so I borrowed my coworker's copy to see what all the hubbub is about. The ideas in the book are maybe 3 stars but it is SOOOO BADLY WRITTEN! It's like the script for an infomercial (even has testimonials), but like, not drunk at 3AM, with Doritos in your lap and no zany Australian hosts. Skip the book, read a pamphlet.

Book dish: Doritos, 3am.

[Leanda Huseby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great concepts and ideas in this book on ways to change the way we work. And the work culture we are a part of. I work in a semi-agile government organization, so it is hard to imagine how some of these ideas could be implemented. Enjoyed the real examples and stories from people that have been a part of a results only environment.

[Ilia Markov · Rating 1 out of 5]

If you've ever spent a day working from home (yes, after a global pandemic), you'll probably find this books too simple and basic.

[Kateryna Dvornichenko · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mitigated feelings about this book. From one side, I fully support such notions as trust, commonly discussed and agreed goals, possibility to adapt your work schedule the way it suits you. I find that treating adults as adults works really well and makes people happy, productive, and fulfilled.
However, having experience working with toxic people and bosses who push everyone to burn out, I find legal boundaries and contractual time important.
Ambitious goals are great, but if your boss making them more and more ambitious to the point that you spend all your life working, the ability to state, that it's somewhat illegal is great. So in global, I appreciate the general message of the book, but I would be rather careful with the implementation.
Also, sometimes books felt like MLM booklets, which I didn't like much.

[Marcin Muras · Rating 3 out of 5]

Książka wychwala wdrożoną w Best Buy (amerykański odpowiednik Media Markt) ekstremalną "filozofię" pracy ROWE (Result Only Work Environment). Pracy skupionej WYŁĄCZNIE na efektach.

A dlaczego ekstremalną? Oto kilka zasad:
- Pracownicy mają nieograniczoną liczbę dni płatnego urlopu, o ile tylko wykonują swoją pracę.
- Udział w każdym zebraniu jest dobrowolny.
- Nie ma żadnego harmonogramu pracy.

ROWE to już kolejny sposób organizacji pracy obok np. organizacji turkusowej, zwinnej (Agile), chudej (Lean) czy w 100% zdalnej.

Żadna z tych metod się nie wyklucza. Każda rozwiązuje trochę inny problem.

Niestety ta książka mówi o samym zaletach ROWE kompletnie pomijając potencjalne problemy.

Warto pamiętać, że nie ma świętego Graala w postaci jednej uniwersalnej metody na.. cokolwiek.

Podsumowując polecam przeczytać, a następnie wybrać to co najlepsze dla Twojej firmy, zespołu lub celów.

[Anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is repetitive and trite. The first third or so is consumed with what they seem to think is obvious: work sucks, meetings are useless, and we're all faking it to wait out the clock. The problem? There is a clock. Now I don't think work sucks, nor do I personally waste time for sake of an easy paycheck (though I know those people exist), and I specialize in facilitation of effective meetings/collaborative processes... so I'm probably not the target audience...but even if I was, I can't fathom what leads you to think that having no schedule makes people more effective and efficient. Its like politicians thinking that if you cut the budget, agencies will HAVE to work more efficiently- but the reality is that people end up doing less with less and decreasing morale for employees. Efficiency is a skill set that needs to be developed and, while it can be motivated by some of the aspects of ROWE, I don't see how ROWE itself is a solutions.

Unfortunately though, this seems like one of those books that is trying to get you just enough interested in the topic so that you pay the consultants who wrote it to tell you more. It is vague on the details.

Then there is the chapter near the end where they try to get you, for some reason, to proselytize to others about ROWE (spread the good word!). Including tips to get around people's doubts and arguments (themselves faulty) - which annoyed me because they had yet to convince me, so why on earth would I try to convince others?!?

[Rana (This City That Book) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title is pretty much self explanatory and it is what grabbed my attention in the first place, as I am sure was the intention…

I have had this book for over 10 years so I expected it to be outdated but it seems that work “sucks” just the same across the decades.
The authors of this book focus on a new working model they abbreviate under ROWE or Results Only Work Environment – essentially measuring the outputs and not the numbers of hours worked. We are all familiar with the concept these days, work smart and not hard is a phrase we hear often.

While the solution they suggest is not groundbreaking, it is still relevant especially now after Covid that most offices are packed again with employees and a lot of companies moving back to on-site work and not allowing remote work anymore.

While the book hails a results-only approach, it does also focus on accountability, fostering an environment of trust and encouraging employee engagement. When done right, organizations can effectively apply the ROWE model and retain happy employees who produce better due to a balanced dose of work/life. Implementing ROWE successfully requires training and effective internal communication of course and the book explains this rationale efficiently step by step.

Such a good, quick read that is highly recommended for all of us workaholics out there who tend to forget that we work to live and not the other way round.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

gap brand is moving to ROWE (my kick-off mtg is today!!!)!!! ROWE: results-ONLY work environment, where you set your own schedule, work where you want, as long as you're delivering the results. the company provided this book to us to read before our kick-off mtgs to help all of us understand the ROWE culture, and what it means, as well as help with the transition period. the book is definitely eye-opening...questioning and challenging "antiquated" and "out-dated" practices and beliefs about the workplace...ones that have been held to since the industrial age. ROWE was created and developed by Best Buy in the early to mid 2000's, and has evolved and expanded to other companies since. gap inc. outlet has been in ROWE for almost 3 years, and i'm really looking forward to hearing about their experiences today. if you're always feeling stressed out by work, and/or feel work just sucks up all of your time, and wonder if there is a better way...there is...and, it's all in this book!

[Pamela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Didn't particularly like the title of this book, since I've never felt like "work sucks." But I was drawn to the subject matter -- a case study of the Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) that's been established over the last several years at Best Buy corporate offices. People work when and where they choose, all meetings are optional, and the only metrics by which employees are judged are the results they deliver, based on clearly established goals and expectations. The book turns the notion that "just showing up" is 80% of the job on its head. And it makes a compelling case for work being a thing you do, not a place you go -- especially in today's hyper-connected world.

[Mark · Rating 1 out of 5]

Two books in a row now where I had to skim the second half since the first half was so bad. So discouraging! Another "business" book (or should I say "busyness"?) that will supposedly revolutionize the work world as we know it. Never heard of the ROAM concept before and probably won't hear of it again. 95% fluff.

[Jeremy BV · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lots of talk about a fantasy of work-life balance, with no real solutions offered. The whole idea of ROWE becomes less and less feasible as the pages roll on with nothing but fluff.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very thought-provoking read. I have to admit, I did a close read of the first 60 pages. While interesting, I have a hard time fitting the concepts into my type of work (middle school teacher) so I skimmed the rest of the book.

Naturally, there are times I just have to be at work so I can have face-to-face contact with 170 middle schoolers. But I felt there were other important take aways from this book that could apply to about anyone. The utmost being NO SLUDGE (sludge = negative comments made that serve to reinforce old ideas about how work gets done.) Stop questioning your coworkers about things like arriving late, leaving early, taking a vacation day, etc. Is the work getting done and in a quality fashion? Then that's all that matters.

Then there was the chapter about meetings. Was the meeting really necessary, or could it have been handled by an email?

Another key issue that could apply to schools is trust. The author mentioned some things that resonated with me, like trusting your employees to get work done without physically being in the room with you, or sending an email on a snowstorm day saying, "You all can leave early." The author made the point that sending such emails treats the employees like children. If it's treacherous outside, they should be able to leave without anyone telling them to go. (Again, in a school setting, I'd assume this would be on a teacher work day since you obviously can't abandon the school with children still in it.) We did have a teacher work day this year that had horrible weather. One nearby school district told its employees that it was a work from home day. I found that wonderfully inspiring.

In my job, we often hear comments like "Your contract says 7:45 - 3:45." That's why this book was so refreshing. Is the work getting done? If so, who cares if you leave a little early or arrive a little late? God only knows teachers put in tons of hours in the evenings and weekends--why are we tied so tight to the contractual hours?

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

The idea of a ROWE might seem crazy, but when you think long and hard about the idea of work, how society, culture, and technology have changed the nature of work, and why our workplace practices are the way they are (hint: it's largely outdated customs), a environment where employees are free to do "whatever they want, whenever they want, as long as the work gets done" makes total sense.

"Why Work Sucks" gives a very compelling argument that corporations can give their employees full control about when and how they work, yet still achieve the same, or even greater results than a traditional working environment. It's not simply theoretical; Best Buy, Gap, and the Girls Scouts are a few example organizations examined in the book that changed to a ROWE. My current company also is a ROWE, and it has made both my job satisfaction and my quality of life so much better.

[Sean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was a great book. It was a little repetitive but I still didn't think it overdid it. It presents a new way of looking at work that I found helpful. It gave me some ideas about things I want to discuss with my manager to move the focus of my job towards results, instead of a focus on just sitting at my desk.

The title is a little misleading so don't be thrown off by it. You do not have to dislike your job in any way to get value from this book. It would be more accurate to call it "Why the way we THINK about work sucks and how to fix it."

[Michael Sypes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit long-winded, as most these sorts of books tend to be, but the ideas are very sound, and there's a good deal of practical "how-to" on getting your workplace to be a ROWE.
The downside, of course is that this change requires a lot of buy-in from a lot of people at many levels. It's not just up to you, it's up to your boss, his boss, and her boss to work together toward this goal, and there's a lot of personal self-interest from higher levels of management to reject this form of thinking.

[Brittany Duffy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of important ideas and concepts here. At this point though, it does feel outdated (e.g. now knowing unlimited vacation time leads to people taking less time off) and some of the language is rather flippant and problematic. I love what it has to say about time and control but also think it's too labor-centric.

[Ahmed · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting and insightful idea

It takes me almost 3 months to finish this book, which I found it very interesting! Before the pandemic this would have been crazy to implement in the workplace but now I think most of the companies around the world, applies or partially applies, ROWE.

[Meghan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I work for a boss who largely has this attitude already, and it makes me appreciate it all the more. I’m thinking about how we can define ‘results’ better to have a better understanding of who contributes what. I’m also wondering how we can infuse this into adjacent teams.

[Alyona E · Rating 3 out of 5]

Explains Results Oriented Work Environment concept, that was implemented in BestBuy before pandemic. Although Best Buy ended that "flexible schedule" in 2013.

Very inspiring idea and probably too hard to include into current work culture in North America.

[FD · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good read if that were you’re company is headed but otherwise irrelevant. ROWE is a fabulous concept though. Easy read

[Caitlin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this as teambuilding book club. Interesting concept and provides good examples, but written aggressively for decision-makers with more "tell" than "show" (although it provides lots of data!).

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

No, I do not think work sucks, I was just curious about this. A little dated, but still applicable!

[Edwin Masripan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very little research to prove its worth implementing.

A bit dated and most likely applicable to some part of the world.

[Mindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked some of the ideas in the book but it seemed like the same info was repeated over and over. I found myself zoning out after a while.

[Gabriela · Rating 3 out of 5]

The content of this book exemplifies really well the main reason why working remotely is non-negotiable for me. I do like to be at an office, but I *need* to own my time. Everyone knows that when you need to clock in and clock out you pretend to be busy on occasion because you're already done with work, but can't leave/disconnect yet. This behavior offers zero to the employer, and prevents the employee from doing something that's actually useful with their time.

I'm always going to advocate for being results-oriented. I don't think the program that is described in this book is the only way to do it, but it does sound like a good way. I'm grateful that the authors present some of the common push-backs they've gotten about ROWE, as it might help me prepare arguments as I present similar ideas in the future. I definitely recommend this book to anyone in HR and anyone that manages people - in the very least, it will get you to rethink some of your beliefs about how work should be done and/or how you've been managing your team.