Chapter 4 – Autonomy

2. Chapter 4 – Autonomy • Old fashioned ideas of management are giving way to a newfangled emphasis on self-direction according to Pink. • Management is shifting from walking around and watching workers to self-direction – give them a task and get out of the way.

3. Autonomy, cont. • ROWE – Results Only Work Environment • Concept created by Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson • Principle – “They just have to get the work done.” • How they do it? • When they do it? Is up to the individual • Where they do it?

4. Autonomy, cont. • Management is checking up on people • Autonomy is about “creating conditions for people to do their best work.” • Jeff Gunther decided to implement the ROWE concept to his own business. • At first, people came to work at the normal time and continued business as usual, but as more people began to embrace the concept of when, where and how to complete their tasks – it caught on and was successful.

5. Autonomy, cont. • Results that Gunther saw in his business. • 1. Productivity Rose • 2. Stress Declined • Gunther said that people outside of his business thought he was crazy. But he couldn’t help but see his business becoming more successful. • Why? “They were focused on the work itself rather than on whether someone would call them a slacker for leaving at three pm to watch a daughter’s soccer game.”

6. Autonomy, cont. • Why was this important for Gunther? His business designed software and he needed his designers to be creative – in other words – they were being creative and successful and not thinking about the little stuff. • Logistics – Under the ROWE concept, certain goals had to be met. As long as the goals were set at an appropriate level and people were meeting their goals – then it works.

7. Autonomy, cont. • Gunther also realized that if his employees basic needs were being met – non-monetary awards worked great (flexible hours, etc.) • He found that people opted to stay with him because they felt that the freedom they have to do great work was more valuable than $10,000 more pay.

8. Autonomy, cont. • Management is past its prime. Consider this as an example: what is in your office that was there in the 19th century? • Is the idea of management outdated? • Do we need to move toward autonomy? • Deci and Ryan state that autonomy is a basic human need – “acting with choice” • According to D & R, “Autonomy is something that people seek and that improves their lives.”

9. Autonomy, cont. • Benefits of autonomy (Autonomous Motivation) • Promotes greater conceptual understanding • Better grades • Enhanced persistence at school and in sporting events • Higher productivity • Less burn out • Greater levels of psychological well being.

10. Autonomy, cont. • Autonomy applied to business • Businesses that offered autonomy grew at four times the rate of the control-oriented firms and had 1/3 the turnover • Autonomy applied to school • The Flipped Classroom?????