Why Managing Sucks and How to Fix It: A Results–Only Guide to Taking Control of Work, Not People

"One of the biggest ideas in talent in the last decade." —Daniel H. Pink , author of Drive and A Whole New Mind PRAISE FOR WHY MANAGING SUCKS . . . "The Results-Only Work Environment is one of the biggest ideas in talent in the last decade. Ressler and Thompson make a convincing case that ROWE is more than a nudge in the direction of more flexibility and autonomy—it's a radical shift in the way we think about work, responsibility, and success. So if you're thinking about taking the plunge—and you should be—this book will make you more enthusiastic about your choice and equip you with the tools you need to bring their revolutionary idea to life." —Daniel H. Pink , author of Drive and A Whole New Mind "The case for ROWE—signed, sealed, and delivered right here in this book. Case study after case study in every sector, industry, and job. No excuses. Leaders, wake up." —Amanda Hite , cofounder and chief change agent, BTC Revolutions "In the twenty-first century, management has to be reinvented, root and branch. In this provocative and essential book, Cali and Jody tell you how to get started." —Gary Hamel , author of What Matters Now "Ressler and Thompson deliver again—this time, with a pointed message to managers about what it really takes to inspire employees. This is a must-read book for all leaders to get a leg up on engaging, recognizing, and rewarding staff!" —Razor Suleman , founder and CEO of Achievers "An inspiring and practical blueprint for leaders who know in their gut that we need to completely remodel how we think about and manage work and want to know how. Every manager should get two copies—one for herself and one for her own boss!" —Kristin Maschka , author of This Is Not How I Thought It Would Be: Remodeling Motherhood to Get the Lives We Want Today "For managers who have wanted to do what's right instead of play by the old, tired rules, this book is for you. " —Pamela Slim , author of Escape from Cubicle Nation "Let's change the workplace and our lives together starting now. This book shows you how." —Jessica Miller-Merrill , CEO of Xceptional HR and author of Tweet This! Twitter for Business

Acknowledgments vii Introduction 1 Chapter 1 Wake Up! Go Beyond Telework 21 Creating an Accountability Culture by Karren Fink 55 Chapter 2 Motivate Me. No Pizza Party, Please 63 The Importance of Trust by Bryan Sivak 98 Chapter 3 S.M.A.R.T. Goals ¼ Senseless Minutia Against Random Tasks 105 Down with Billable Hours, Up with Results by Otmara “Omi” Diaz–Cooper and Todd Cooper 137 Chapter 4 24/7 Kicks 9–5’s Ass 143 Focus on What Matters by Greg Watt 169 Chapter 5 No More Bullshit Meetings. Period. 177 Delighting the Customer by Ronnie Wooten 201 Chapter 6 Results. Not for Every Job? 207 Results–Only Competency–Based Education by Jeff Herzberg 237 ROWE in the Public Sector by Nancy Dietl Griffin 244 Epilogue 256 About the Authors 272 Index 273

CALI RESSLER and JODY THOMPSON are the cofounders of CultureRx and authors of Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It . CultureRx provides training services customized to the needs of their clients that successfully shift teams and entire organizations into a Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE). Cali and Jody began their work together at Best Buy, where they are credited with revolutionizing the workplace.