Higher Ed Geek

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Book Review: Rework

My latest review is for the 2010 advice book, Rework, from the founders of productivity tool, Basecamp.

To start off simply, I really liked this book. As someone who is trying to work out starting something, I valued the perspectives outlined here. It resonated as the work environment I yearn for and would hope to create if I'm able to build what I'm working on right now. It disrupts all the norms we've come to expect from office jobs, and allows us to make more human focused companies.

Here's one of my biggest takeaways:

"Rockstar environments develop out of trust, autonomy, and responsibility. They’re a result of giving people the privacy, workspace, and tools they deserve. Great environments show respect for the people who do the work and how they do it."

This could sum up my general feelings about workplace dynamics and what we need to create to have positive outcomes for everyone involved; managers, employees, and customers. My advocacy for remote work is based in this sentiment, as well as flexible work hours. Balance comes from working where and how we're most productive. It could be sitting in the office from 9-5, or working 10-6 from a home office, or two four hour chunks split up so you can still have some personal time during the day or eat dinner with your family.

Another few points in the book I love are about workaholics:

"If all you do is work, you’re unlikely to have sound judgments. Your values and decision making wind up skewed. You stop being able to decide what’s worth extra effort and what’s not. And you wind up just plain tired. No one makes sharp decisions when tired.

"In the end, workaholics don’t actually accomplish more than non-workaholics. They may claim to be perfectionists, but that just means they’re wasting time fixating on inconsequential details instead of moving on to the next task.

"Workaholics aren’t heroes. They don’t save the day, they just use it up. The real hero is already home because she figured out a faster way to get things done."

I experience this a lot in my current job. I'm all about working smarter, not harder, and allowing myself to know that the work will be there tomorrow and it isn't the end of the world to leave and pick it up later. Especially when it's not a real emergency.

There's a lot to enjoy in this book if you're interested in this sort of thing and it's an easy read too. I was able to consume it in many bite sized chunks during some recent trips. I look forward to checking out their other book; Remote, as well as their podcast based on the Rework book.

Thanks for stopping by!