CEO of Me: Creating a Life That Works in the Flexible Job Age

by Ellen Ernst Kossek

You are the CEO of your 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 Me is like no other "work-life balance" book you've ever 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.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

183 pages, Hardcover

First published December 7, 2007

Reviews

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The CEO of Me is a great read for those navigating life within larger companies. As a self-employed chiropractic office owner, I found it a bit harder to apply everything directly—but there were still some valuable takeaways. I especially appreciated the insights on becoming an integrative worker, blending personal, volunteer, and professional life meaningfully. The sections on setting boundaries at work and at home were especially helpful and thought-provoking.

[Cintrena]

Committed to the first three chapters. The remaining chapters would be used for referencing.

[Charlice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is written by someone with extensive experience researching work-life issues. She and her co-author have distilled their findings into a form that can be understood and used by regular folks. I think this would be most useful for people struggling with tensions between their work and personal life. The book focuses, initially, on helping the reader identify their current "flexstyle" (i.e., work-life management style). Some styles are more adaptive than others, but all have their benefits and drawbacks. The next step is to determine whether one needs to change and how much change might be needed. The rest of the book is devoted to strategies for change. There is a very good chapter on negotiating with one's supervisor, coworkers, and/or family members to alter the way one is handling work-life relationships. The next chapter, on ways to seek broader changes in one's work group and organization, is very good too. Although I didn't feel a great need to implement the techniques offered in the book right away, I will probably continue to look at my work-personal "balance" through the lens of what flexstyle I'm using and whether that style is the most appropriate ones given my goals and current set of work and family demands. I imagine I (and others) will find that perspective useful down the line when, inevitably, things do seem to be getting out of hand.

[Jac · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at the library on a whim - it just happened to be near another book I was looking for, and I found it to be a quick, enjoyable read on attaining work-life balance. There are a lot of anecdotes, and though mostly very short and superficial, I still found them interesting and useful data points for assessing my own lifestyle. What I liked most were chapters 7 and 8, which provide concrete steps for identifying and making worthwhile changes in your habits. It's also a great resource for examples of creative solutions that other people have found in balancing their careers and personal lives.

[Leader Summaries · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desde Leader Summaries recomendamos la lectura del libro Jefe de mi propia vida, de Ellen Ernst Kossek y Brenda A. Lautsch.
Las personas interesadas en las siguientes temáticas lo encontrarán práctico y útil: recursos humanos, conciliar la vida familiar y laboral.
En el siguiente enlace tienes el resumen del libro Jefe de mi propia vida, Alternativas para armonizar la vida personal y profesional: Jefe de mi propia vida

[Lindsay L. Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has great examples of people who are balancing a work life with a family or other interests. I enjoyed the scenarios and it was thought provoking on how I want to spend my time. Some of it was hard to get through so I skimmed a bit.

Check out my blog post about this book and others:

http://bibliofreaker.blogspot.com/201...

[Haifa Khamis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable book.

[Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skimmed, not that engaging for me, since I don't feel frustrated with my current work-life balance. Knock on wood.