One of the most important principles of Renegade HR is: “Work is something you do, not somewhere you go.”

I can’t take credit for that – it’s actually something I read in an interview with Jody and Cali, the original HR renegades who created and launched ROWE at Best Buy.

I’ll be talking about this principle in much more detail in a few weeks, but I just received an email from them that I felt I had to share with you:

Many of you may be breathing a sigh of relief today. Valentine’s Day falls on a Saturday this year – that means you’ll be able to saunter out of your home and go out to dinner vs. “sneaking out early” from the office to race to the restaurant just in time.

It’s all part of the game of the traditional work environment – when the focus is on hours and physical presence, it’s difficult to actually live life. It might feel like this excerpt from Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It:

“I’m so excited – my husband and I have plans to go to dinner at my favorite restaurant to celebrate our anniversary. The restaurant is an hour away and to make our six o’ clock reservation during rush hour, I’ll need to leave work at 4:30 p.m. Leaving at this time is unheard of where I work, but tonight I don’t care what anyone says about me. I arrive at the office and find out that my boss has called a surprise meeting with my team. She proceeds to tell us that he hasn’t seen the dedication she needs to see on our new project. She expects to see us all working until at least 6:00 p.m. every night to “put in our time.” I talk with her after the meeting to let her know that I’ll be leaving at 4:30 for my anniversary dinner, but I’ll work until 7:00 p.m. every other night this week. She glares at me and lets me know that there are people lined up for my job – I can make my own decisions. I know, in that moment, that my husband and I will need to celebrate this weekend instead of tonight. I cancel our reservation and call my husband. He asks me when I’m going to realize what’s really important in life and hangs up the phone. I ask myself the same question as I lay my head down on my desk.”

This is no way to live, and it infuriates us to know that this scenario plays out in many of your work environments.

We have a two-part challenge for you:

1) Band together with several coworkers and your manager. Have the conversation about the importance of measurable results vs. hours/face time.

2) With that same group of coworkers, work together to ensure that your team’s work is covered for the span of a week. Then, have each person choose a time to do one “fun” thing out of the office during your traditional work hours.

Every day is precious – it’s time to work on reclaiming your life now.

Cali & Jody

Keep an eye out for my article on “Work is something you do, not somewhere you go.” Also, if you haven’t yet, subscribe to Renegade HR.

To learn more about ROWE in the meantime, check out these resources:

• Why Work Sucks & How to Fix It
• Cali & Jody’s Website
• Smashing the Clock: Business Week Article
• Interview with Cali & Jody on the 4-Hour Work Week Blog
• Throwing Out the Rules of Work: Workforce Magazine Article