Making Work Work : New Strategies for Surviving and Thriving at the Office

by Julie Morgenstern

• ISBN13: 9780743250870
• ISBN10: 0743250877
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-08-31
• Publisher: Fireside

Summary

The New York Times bestselling author, Oprah's favorite organizing expert, and America's number one problem solver presents a revolutionary book. It will help readers achieve the seemingly impossible: boost value and job security without sacrificing personal life. Morgenstern teaches innovative "grab and go" solutions that can be processed in as few as fifteen minutes to dramatically improve performance and efficiency, including: Beware of multitasking. Scattering your efforts makes for a longer day; Dance near the revenue line. Making or saving money is where your greatest value lies; Crunch your container. Shorten your workday by thirty minutes and you will get more done; Trust your truth. Never undervalue your unique self, skills, and point of view.

Author Biography

Julie Morgenstern, founder and owner of Task Masters, is the author of the New York Times bestseller Organizing from the Inside Out and Time Management from the Inside Out. Her column, "Getting Organized," appears monthly in O, The Oprah Magazine. A speaker, media expert, and corporate spokesperson, she lives in New York City.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction Welcome to the New World of Work	1	(6)
Self-Assessment Is It You . . . or Is It Them?	7	(12)
Embrace Your Work/Life Balance	19	(26)
Develop an Entrepreneurial Mindset	45	(26)
Choose the Most Important Tasks	71	(24)
Create the Time to Get Things Done	95	(20)
Control the Nibblers	115	(26)
Organize at the Speed of Change	141	(26)
Master Delegation	167	(24)
Work Well with Others	191	(24)
Leverage Your Value	215	(26)
Index	241

Excerpts

Chapter One: Embrace Your Work/Life Balance Picture this: You're hanging off the side of a cliff by your fingertips. Gravity is pulling, and you are slipping down, down, down. You see a large rock jutting out just above your hand. Your only chance of survival is to let go of the narrow ledge you're sliding off and quickly grab hold of that big rock above. For one split second, you won't be holding on to anything at all -- you'll be suspended in midair. What would you do?For many people, breaking away from the gravitational pull of work is extremely difficult. In fact, it's counterintuitive. You'd think that if you are struggling at work, you should try to fix things on the job first. Certainly, improving your performance at the office will give you more leverage in asking for some work/life balance benefits, like extra time off. So why would I make "Embrace Your Work/Life Balance" the first competency rather than the last?Because in the crazy, sped-up, pressure-cooker world of work, our personal lives are usually the first thing we sacrifice. That puts us in a precarious situation -- when our balance is off, our performance suffers, along with our happiness and motivation.If you are feeling overworked, exhausted, and depleted, the first step is to let go at work and take care of yourself. Though it may feel like breaking away from the office could be deadly to your career, embracing your work/life balance, even with something as simple and straightforward as catching up on your sleep, is actually one of the most effective ways to improve your productivity on the job.Not Just Nice, but NecessaryMastering your work/life balance is not just a nice idea -- it's necessary. The extraordinary stresses of today's workplace require you to take control of your work/life balance and to make sure that the time off you do have is rewarding, refreshing, and energizing. Creating a vibrant personal life is one of the best investments you can make in your work! If you don't stop to reclaim your work/life balance first, you will never have the energy, creativity, and wherewithal to learn any of the other competencies presented in this book -- let alone improve your work performance.The concept of reclaiming a balance between work and life may strike you as a fantasy, impossible under the stresses of the modern workplace. It's not.Top-Tier Performers Are Committed to Their Work/Life BalanceIn every industry I consult in, I've noticed that the top-tier performers are deeply committed to their work/life balance. They may be working long hours, but they are very thoughtful about their leisure, so that they make excellent use of time away from the office. This is a critical skill -- especially if you're working long hours, because you have fewer hours to play with in the first place.The most successful workers create a balance that ensures they are energized, refreshed, and renewed every day. Their balancing act isn't perfect, and it requires constant attention -- but they are vigilant about maintaining that balance, because they appreciate the continuity between home and rest, work and productivity.A solid work/life balance will provide you with: Energy. The more energized you are, the more productive you will actually be. When you are burned out, you move more slowly. You may not realize it because your judgment is off, but simple tasks can take two, three, four times longer. Accuracy. When you are rested, refreshed, and in balance, you think more clearly, making better, swifter choices. You don't waste time doing work over, or correcting mistakes. Innovation. The best ideas often come when you step away from your work and stop staring at a problem. A change in environment or activity -- going for a drive, visiting a museum, or just taking a shower -- often stimulates innovation, en