Christen Cole, CHRO at St. Olaf College

Transforming Workplace Culture with Christen Cole: From ROWE to Employee Empowerment.In this episode of the Built by People podcast, sponsored by Previ, host Dave welcomes Christen, an acclaimed HR leader with 27 years of experience. Christen shares her insightful career journey, moving from a chief Human Resources officer to leading leadership development at a growing family-owned company. She discusses the Results Only Work Environment (ROWE) philosophy she helped implement at Best Buy, emphasizing clarity, accountability, autonomy, and trust. Christen addresses the challenges organizations face in shifting from traditional to outcomes-based approaches and highlights the balance between employee autonomy and accountability. She concludes by providing actionable advice on fostering a healthy workplace culture, encouraging clear communication, trust, and continuous feedback. Learn more about https://www.gorowe.com/00:00 Introduction to the Built by People Podcast00:16 Sponsor Message: Previ's Employee Benefits00:44 Guest Introduction: Christen's Career Journey01:33 Implementing Results-Only Work Environment (ROWE)02:55 Challenges in Shifting to Outcomes-Based Approach05:11 Balancing Autonomy and Accountability06:34 Evolving Workplace Culture and Employee Empowerment07:23 Parting Advice and Key Takeaways09:22 Conclusion and Farewell