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The Way We're Working Isn't Working: The Four Forgotten Needs That Energize Great Performance
The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working is one of those rare books with the power to profoundly transform the way we work and live.
Demand is exceeding our capacity. The ethic of "more, bigger, faster" exacts a series of silent but pernicious costs at work, undermining our energy, focus, creativity, and passion. Nearly 75 percent of employees around the world feel disengaged a
...moreHardcover, 352 pages
Published
May 18th 2010
by Free Press
(first published April 28th 2010)
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This book is written for the corporate world, so I had to adapt it to my very un-corporate life. Some of it just didn't apply to me, but there was some excellent information that really helped me. I LOVED the idea of periods of work mixed with periods of rest and renewal. And now I am going to go take a well-deserved nap :).
Apr 20, 2012
Nathanael Boehm
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Nathanael by:
Clare
Shelves:
work-related,
favourite
This book makes so much sense - it's frustrating that these principles aren't understood widely and incorporated into our lives and culture. The concept is actually similar to another book I recently read - Mood Mapping - where various states are explained in four-quadrant graphs. Physical, emotional, attention and focus.
A recurring theme in the book is the idea of waves, the need to oscillate from intense states of exercise or productivity to "recovery" states of rest, relaxation and big-pictur...more
A recurring theme in the book is the idea of waves, the need to oscillate from intense states of exercise or productivity to "recovery" states of rest, relaxation and big-pictur...more
According to Tony Schwartz, many of us are misdirected in the way we value the expenditure of energy - we tend to operate like machines, for long periods of time at high speeds. He contends that we are mistaken in the belief that investing more time, more continuously is the only way to get more done. He writes that we will be healthier and more effective, by learning to shift between energy expenditure and energy renewal, and he provides multiple, proven strategies to create the shift.
Mr. Schwa...more
Mr. Schwa...more
Generally, I record my book reviews on Goodreads but this book by Tony Schwartz was so close to the core mission of BatesHook that I wanted to share it with a wier audience.
The basic premise of the book is: The furious activity to accomplish more with less exacts a series of silent costs: less capacity for focused attention, less time for any given task, and less opportunity to think reflectively and long term."
Below are a few of the big ideas that resonated with me:
" Rather than trying to get m...more
The basic premise of the book is: The furious activity to accomplish more with less exacts a series of silent costs: less capacity for focused attention, less time for any given task, and less opportunity to think reflectively and long term."
Below are a few of the big ideas that resonated with me:
" Rather than trying to get m...more
Thoroughly appreciated the wealth of wisdom, research and concepts that went into this book. Though it was directed toward a corporate entity, I could readily apply the same concepts toward my family and other spheres of involvement. These concepts were most helpful:
1) The relentless urgency that characterizes our life undermines deliberation, creativity, engagement, and sustainable high performance.
2) Human beings are designed to pulse between the expenditure and the intermittent renewal of ene...more
1) The relentless urgency that characterizes our life undermines deliberation, creativity, engagement, and sustainable high performance.
2) Human beings are designed to pulse between the expenditure and the intermittent renewal of ene...more
As homework assignments go it's just all right. As homework assignments for a leadership work-group it's pretty good. It is an interesting study in the good and bad ways we depleate and renew our energy reserves... and I have to say, "holy bad habits, Batman," there is a ton of stuff we do to ourselves that is just down right self-destructive. It is an eye-opening look at how our lives can be leveraged toward greater success if we just understand that the difficulties we face draw upon a single...more
Wow, great read! Examines workplace cultures and how to make them more sustainable. But it's written for a more corporate environment, or for folks who may not already believe in sustainability as a value in its own right. So it's filled with research on human behavior; the facts! A refreshing break from the more touchy-feely social worker stuff that's my more typical reading diet. Plus it's in small chunks, so easy to read if you only have a little time here and there for reading. Filled with s...more
The title alone is a great commentary on our times and is a good one for managers to read. The author's questions and insights apply to everyone though, especially those who are working too hard.
- Is the life you're living worth the price you're paying to live it?
- More sleep = More work done. (We're not effective if we're not getting enough sleep).
- We have vast knowledge, but little self knowledge.
- If you don't plan your day, you'll respond to anything that's thrown at you.
- Intensity with re...more
- Is the life you're living worth the price you're paying to live it?
- More sleep = More work done. (We're not effective if we're not getting enough sleep).
- We have vast knowledge, but little self knowledge.
- If you don't plan your day, you'll respond to anything that's thrown at you.
- Intensity with re...more
Heard about this one on NPR. Basically it rails against popular thinking in businesses today about how to increase productivity, like the concept of multi-tasking. It proposes working in "waves" of no longer than 90 minutes at a time, but giving the task at hand complete focus during that time. It notes how much fueling our bodies with rest and fuel can boost our performance. As someone who likes to find the most efficient way to get things done at work without sacrificing quality or work-life b...more
I actually read this book already last year and now I have only reviewed it again as the topic has become ever more relevant. The title tells most of the story why the book was written. What the book reveals are the strategies to mitigate this dismal state of affairs both on the personal and organisational level. I feel that the findings from this book apply also on the level of society. We are all in crisis now and we just must find the way out. I believe that the answer lies in caring and pers...more
AMAZING Book.
If you work in a corporation, you HAVE to read this book. It'll make you MUCH more efficient at work, and MUCH happier in life.
Tony Schwartz has been doing the "Energy Project" research for over 10 years. He published 2 previous books. He consulted for top CEOs from around the world. And at the end of all that, he compiled this amazing book that brings Academic Research & Behavior Psychology in one hand, and then very practical long-term tried practices from the offices of top M...more
If you work in a corporation, you HAVE to read this book. It'll make you MUCH more efficient at work, and MUCH happier in life.
Tony Schwartz has been doing the "Energy Project" research for over 10 years. He published 2 previous books. He consulted for top CEOs from around the world. And at the end of all that, he compiled this amazing book that brings Academic Research & Behavior Psychology in one hand, and then very practical long-term tried practices from the offices of top M...more
Typical business model book with the four quadrant diagrams and perfect world scenario. So much of it is common sense and individual change driven. I try to follow a number of its suggestions - but that isn't always easy or practical. How much businesses can be responsible for fostering these ideals is an open question. But still everyone should at least remind themselves that there are better ways to act in order to strive for work, personal and family ideals. Book club discussion was lively an...more
This book gives great insight into what changes to everyday life can greatly improve work efficiency; the main one being taking time to renew your energy. Some of the ideas might be considered obvious, others counter-intuitive, but reading the anecdotes describing how such changes were implemented by companies and individuals is really inspiring.
I would suggest reading this book for your own benefit, then giving it to your manager to read and keep passing up the management ladder to improve the...more
I would suggest reading this book for your own benefit, then giving it to your manager to read and keep passing up the management ladder to improve the...more
This is designed as a self-help style book for corporate people who are burnt out. Not something I would normally pick up since I don't work in the corporate sector, but I think that the theoretical base of this book is really important for ALL people in our busy, stressed-out culture. I would definitely recommend you read this book if you feel overwhelmed or unsatisfied in your current work life.
Basically, Schwartz argues that we don't work in ways that allow us to be our most creative or effe...more
Basically, Schwartz argues that we don't work in ways that allow us to be our most creative or effe...more
This is a great book to read if you are a manager or hold a leadership position in your job. The book is written by three folks who founded the Energy Project, which works with larger companies to change their cultures in order to create happier and more effective employees. The book is broken into the four needs of employees - physical, emotional, mental, spiritual. They believe that happy and healthy employees = more productivity = more money/success for the company. They have had some big cli...more
Schwartz puts together a lot of good information to make a compelling case against the frantic work habits many of us have adopted. Although I've read most of the original material he references, I found the book a good reminder of the need and importance for reflection, exercise, healthy eating, and developing relationships that matter. The book does an excellent job summarizing the key points as well as providing actionable steps to take for each of the concepts.
This is a very helpful book. Not that anything he says is revolutionary, but he does bring it together in way that makes you think. He covers everything from taking breaks at work, to eating right, to exercising and a myriad of other factors that sap our energy and make us less of the person we want to be. His basic premise is that because we think we need to work harder and longer hours, we are not actually doing good work anymore. He talks about the work he has done with many big corporations,...more
An interesting book, somewhat dry/academic at times (the quadrant matrix is clear and concise, but overused). I found it to be rather repetitious, and the subject matter would probably have been better served as an HBR article vs. a complete book. While the takeaways are spot on, but the ideas are too theoretical for practical application in today's business environment (try to have a conversation about this book with managers and the response is typically something like, "... yeah, that's nice...more
Enjoyed the perspective of what organizations should be doing to energize their employees and why. Investing in the individual for the long term as an investment in organization makes perfect sense. Great reading practical steps to improve individual and organization needs: sustainability/physical, security/emotional, self-expression/mental and significance/spiritual needs.
I liked the anecdotal stories about executives and teams following through, but could have done with more in-depth studies s...more
I liked the anecdotal stories about executives and teams following through, but could have done with more in-depth studies s...more
Many of the points made in the book resonate with me. I enjoyed reading the book. I particularly liked the diagrams with words in each quadrant of your life. I also liked that each chapters ends with things you can try to improve that area.
Most of the books I read I end up giving away to my local library. I will be keeping this book, there is too much information in this book to absorb in one reading. It would have been nice to have a book discussion over this book.
I'm going to try and incorporate many of these items/actions if I am ever able to get Nuisto off the ground with employees.
Some of the items in here go along with Daniel Pink's TED talks as well.
Great read ... but hard and took longer than I wanted 'cause my mind was sp...more
I'm going to try and incorporate many of these items/actions if I am ever able to get Nuisto off the ground with employees.
Some of the items in here go along with Daniel Pink's TED talks as well.
Great read ... but hard and took longer than I wanted 'cause my mind was sp...more
The title was not a good choice in my opinion. Actually an interesting argument that the culture generally focuses too much on managing personal and organizational time, and not enough on managing personal and organizational energy. Advocates periods of intense focus with periods of positive recuperation, creating a "perform/recover" cycle. Says that the CEO of the future will be known as an "organizational energy manager" and includes some compelling evidence that top performers often practice...more
A fantastic book worth reading at least once—if not a few more times after that. Everyone can learn something from this book, whether it's learning how to use your emotions at work or figure out how to make yourself a bit more productive through rituals.
There are some good ideas here, but I've seen most of them before.
Diagrams illustrate the point that people need to switch between high and low intensity in four categories: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
Here are a few passages I enjoyed:
-"...simply doing an activity for a long time is no guarantee that you'll do it well, much less get better at it."
-quoting Gregory Bateson: 'There is always an optimal value beyond which anything is toxic, no matter what...'
-"Passion is an extraordi...more
Diagrams illustrate the point that people need to switch between high and low intensity in four categories: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
Here are a few passages I enjoyed:
-"...simply doing an activity for a long time is no guarantee that you'll do it well, much less get better at it."
-quoting Gregory Bateson: 'There is always an optimal value beyond which anything is toxic, no matter what...'
-"Passion is an extraordi...more
In an attempt to get more done, a lot of us are moving at a frenzied, unsustainable pace. Rather than becoming maximally productive, though, we’re wearing ourselves out and losing the ability to perform at all. So argues Tony Schwartz in his most recent book, Be Excellent at Anything. A well-respected energy-management expert and coauthor of The Power of Full Engagement, Schwartz argues that we perform better when we have regular periods of rest and renewal. He makes his case with vivid examples...more
Great to reach with "The Power of Full Engagement" << expands on the concepts presented, but with a workshop like approach.
The strength of this book is that it connects the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects that have an effect on our overall energy. It covers a wide range of topics and has relevant advice on all of them. There is no filler here, nor is it a "one-idea" book. Many of the chapters really got me thinking.
The people who will benefit from this book, that could be all of us. I wonder if the people who would benefit most would bother to read it. A hard-driving, multi-tasking, hardly-sleeping...more
The people who will benefit from this book, that could be all of us. I wonder if the people who would benefit most would bother to read it. A hard-driving, multi-tasking, hardly-sleeping...more
Alot in this book that makes you think. It's refreshing to take a set back and actually look at the way you function.
Right on the money. Basically an overview of everything that is wrong with day-to-day life.
My review is at
http://paradelle.wordpress.com/2010/0...
and my attempt to at least take back my lunch after reading the book is discussed at
http://paradelle.wordpress.com/2010/0...
http://paradelle.wordpress.com/2010/0...
and my attempt to at least take back my lunch after reading the book is discussed at
http://paradelle.wordpress.com/2010/0...
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Who can write me a summary of this book, i'll pay for the price of your e-book | 1 | 2 | Oct 20, 2011 08:41pm |
Jul 15, 2010 05:37am