Never Check E-Mail in the Morning: And Other Unexpected Strategies for Making Your Work Life Work Our next series is based on a book by Julie Morgenstern: "Never Check E-Mail in the Morning: And Other Unexpected Strategies for Making Your Work Life Work", Fireside, 2004 (the book was previously published under the title "Making Work Work"). It provides some very practical advice for managing your time and that elusive work-life balance (in some ways it is similar to the "Getting Things Done" series we did back in 2003/2004). As with any of these kinds of books, you will probably find some techniques that work well for you and some that don't suit you. The book also has some very good illustrations, taken from various clients who Morgenstern has worked with over the years.
Introduction I'll let her introduce the book: "I am in the business of untangling messes. When a client calls me in to help sort out his work life, his head is usually swimming; he feels wound in a big knot... he feels a sense of responsibility but is unsure where he leaves off and where his company or coworkers come in. When work isn't working, the perplexing and commanding puzzle we are faced with is, 'Is it me or is it them?' Who, or what is causing the meltdown? ... Is there something we can do to correct the situation, or is it truly beyond our control?" The book sets out to provide some answers to these questions and some ways of reversing the sense of drowning. While your situation may not be quite as dramatic as that portrayed here, many of her techniques are helpful for managing time better and getting a more balanced life. In particular, she often focuses on the question of whether it is you or "them" that is the problem and how to deal with the very different circumstances that arise from the answer to this question. She makes the point that modern workplaces are very stressful, highly charged environments with increasing demands for productivity and effort that can sometimes be overwhelming, or at least feel that way She tells the story of Rita, a successful marketing executive at an advertising agency who rose to the position of vice president. She loved her job and was very successful at it. After a year in the new position, the company had won two awards, attracted some large new clients and was attracting some very talented new employees. "Her coworkers and boss appreciated her efforts, and Rita felt confident and in control... Work was working." However, after some time Rita began to lose control - her task list started to grow uncontrollably, and she started to work longer and longer hours, sacrificing family time. Her desk got swamped in paper, and her productivity plummeted. She was desperate by the time she asked Morgenstern for help. When Work IS Working We all know what it is like when things are going smoothly at work: "liking what you're doing and being good at it - feeling appreciated, in control, successful, and in balance". The end of the day brings a warm glow of accomplishment (and comes long before 10:00pm!). Morgenstern's book sets out to give you the "skills and techniques" to help you get to this state. The book is organised into nine "competencies", dealing with different aspects of work. These competencies apply across different jobs and different industries. They are: 1) Embrace your work/life balance 2) Develop an entrepreneurial mindset 3) Choose the most important tasks 4) Create the time to get things done 5) Control the nibblers 6) Organise at the speed of change 7) Master delegation 8) Work well with others 9) Leverage your value She notes that mastering the competencies is an ongoing process and that it will be helpful to keep revisiting the material. In addition, small internal changes can produce large external results, so give things a try and see Morgenstern – pg.1 of 61