CEO of Me Creating a Life That Works in the Flexible Job Age (paperback)

by Kossek, Ellen Ernst; Lautsch, Brenda A.

• ISBN13: 9780132480581
• ISBN10: 0132480581
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-12-07
• Publisher: FT Press

Summary

You are the CEO of your life: you, and nobody else. You can establish the new rules that will help you achieve true balance between work and the rest of your life. And if you don't do it, nobody else will. Now is the time to take control, and this is the book that will get you there. CEO of Meis like no other "work-life balance" book you've ever seen: there are no clichés here, and no one-size-fits all solutions. Instead, Drs. Ellen Kossek and Brenda Lautsch help you identify which of six worklife "patterns" you fit into and how to move towards a pattern that's more productive and comfortable for you, one step at a time. As leaders of North America's largest research projects on work/life balance, Kossek and Lautsch are singularly well-qualified to write this book. Drawing on their unparalleled research insights, they show how to identify the personal triggers that cause you the greatest stress...make the small changes that make the biggest difference...make technology work for you, not against you...redraw the lines between work and family as your life changes...master powerful strategies for managing yourself, your colleagues, and your supervisors...leverage emerging work options that are available to our generation for the first time. The authors'radical new approach will transform the way you view both your work and your life and help you make the practical changes that lead to true fulfillment.

Author Biography

ELLEN ERNST KOSSEK, professor at Michigan State University’s School of Labor & Industrial Relations (Ph.D. Yale), is a leading expert on research on improving relationships between work, family, and personal life in organizations, new ways of working related to flexibility (telecommuting, flextime, reduced-load work), management of talent and diversity in the global multicultural firm, and workplace innovation and change. She has published dozens of articles and a number of books on these topics. She was elected to the Board of Governors of the National Academy of Management, chair of the Gender and Diversity in Organizations Division, and fellow of American Psychological Association and Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology. Her research on work and personal life has been supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the Gerber Foundation, and major corporations. She has taught managers in North America, Europe, and Asia. She is married with four children.

BRENDA A. LAUTSCH, associate professor at Simon Fraser University in Canada, received her Ph.D. in industrial relations and human resources management from The MIT Sloan School of Management. Her research examines the equity and work-life implications of new ways of working, including contingent and flexible work forms. Her work appears in leading journals such as the Industrial and Labor Relations Review, the Journal of Vocational Behavior, and Industrial Relations. She is married with two delightful sons (Oscar age 4 and Kaspar age 7 months).

Table of Contents

&atext-align=left align=left>Preface xvii

Chapter 1 Are You the CEO of Your Working Life? 1

Do You Want to Change How You Are Balancing Work and Personal Life? 1

You Are the CEO of Your Life Starting Today! 4

To Make a Change, Begin Your Self-Reflective Journey by Conducting a “Life Bucket Analysis” 11

Why Change Is Tough  14

Chapter 2 Knowing Your Flexstyle 17

Flexstyles: The Good and Bad Ways We Manage Relationships Between Work and Personal Life 17

Types of Flexstyles  19

What’s Your Flexstyle? Where Do You Fit In? 31

Self-Assessment: Identifying Your Flexstyle 32

Closing 34

Chapter 3 Weighing the Tradeoffs 35

Erin’s Story: Addicted to Work First  36

Preparing for Change: Understanding the Tradeoffs of Different Flexstyles 37

Creating a Life That Works 40

Chapter 4 Tradeoffs of Using Flexibility or Higher Work-Life Integration 41

Cynthia: Profile of a Reluctant Reactor 41

Alyssa’s Story of a Fusion Lover 45

Tradeoffs of Integrating Flexstyles 46

Special Considerations for Reactors 48

Self-Assessment Tools on Tradeoffs 49

Chapter 5 Tradeoffs of Compartmentalizing Work and Personal Life 55

Firsters: Making Your Priorities Clear Wherever You Are 55

Family Firsters 56

Work Firsters  59

Captives 60

For Separators: Weighing the Tradeoffs in Your Life 65

Chapter 6 Tradeoffs of Volleying Between Work and Family 69

Sarah’s Story: Striving to Protect “Quality Time” 70

Quality Timers’ Tradeoffs and Strategies for Making Life Work  71

Chapter 7 Changes Everyone Can Make to Improve Quality of Life 85

Small Steps You Can Take to Begin to Gain Control  85

Step 1: Self-Monitoring 87

Step 2: Developing a Commitment to Change 90

Step 3: Envisioning Alternatives 95

Step 4: Creating the Right Context for Change 97

Step 5: Experimentation 99

Conclusion 100

Chapter 8 Tailoring Change to Your Particular Flexstyle 103

Gaining Control, Countering Tradeoffs,and Exploring Flexstyle Options 103

Change Strategy 1: Gaining Control 104

Change Strategy 2: Reducing the Disadvantages of Your Current Flexstyle 110

Change Strategy 3: Exploring New Flexstyles 116

Conclusion  125

Chapter 9 Negotiating a New Flexstyle and a Life That Works on Your Terms 129

Negotiation: Finding Your Voice 129

The New Deal Larry Wants 131

Preparation Negotiation Tactics  132

Collaboration Tactics 140

Final Thoughts  145

Chapter 10 Not Going It Alone: Making Sustainable Change at Your Workplace 149

Taking the Risk to Establish New Norms at Your Workplace  149

Clean Up Your Own Backyard and Neighborhood  151

Understand the Challenges of Those in Most Need 152

Time for Change 157

Dialogue to Change Attitudes and Culture 158

Improve Work Processes  164

Looking to the Future  168

Appendix Flexstyle Web Site and Overview of Assessments 169

Flexstyle Web Site  169

Sample Qualitative Interview Questions 169

Overview of Survey Instrument  171

Notes  179