RO transforms Best Buy

I was listening to an interview of a Best Buy management person talking about their RO program. This Results Oriented program, started by Best Buy in 2002, has transformed the company’s performance.

The program is still in the experimental stage. But preliminary results are astonishing.

What is the program? Tell management teams that they no longer have to worry about hours; they will not be paid based on the hours they work. They can take off during the middle of the day to see their kid’s soccer game, go to a doctor, or contemplate their navel.

They will be paid based on performance! Is the job getting done? Have they fulfilled their commitment to the company and to the other members of their work community? These are the factors that are important to the company.

The person interviewed said that the performance has improved significantly as measured by any and every standard possible. People no longer look at the clock. They focus on the job, the quality of the job and the satisfaction of their "customers," the people for whom the work is being done.

When I heard this interview, I thought of "value billing" and client satisfaction.  We see more and more examples in industry how to improve the relationship between the company and the work environment, between the employee and the customer. Sooner or later, law firms will have to change their business model to reflect this advanced thinking in industry.

Categorized in: Management