By
Clare on
March 10, 2012
Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace by Gordon MacKenzie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I first heard one of the stories from this book when listening to Tom Kelley’s Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders lecture on how to be an innovator for life. I didn’t really know what to expect from the book, but I loved it! The author uses a series of often humorous, short, personal stories to reflect on and illustrate the problems with most organisational cultures and how to avoid losing one’s sanity and individuality when working in one.
My notes from Orbiting the Giant Hairball
[Disclaimer: The notes below are rough, and may be a mixture of direct quotes, paraphrasing, and my own thoughts/ideas/reminders. They're written here primarily for me (so they may not make much sense out of context, especially for those who haven't read the book)].
(17) Disruption with purpose.
(33) Orbiting is responsible creativity. Vigorously exploring and operating beyond the Hairball of the corporate mind set, beyond “accepted models, patterns or standards” – all the while remaining connected to the spirit of the corporate mission. (more…)
By
Clare on
February 11, 2012
This week at work, a senior manager and I were considering how best to fill a new position (that needs to be filled quite quickly) and whether it should be filled by a successful applicant from a recent generic recruitment round, or whether it was necessary to open the opportunity up to all internal staff first in case an existing staff member was interested in this new role.
This got me thinking (and fuming a little) about how many staff fail to take control of their job options, and instead expect that organisations will serve up potential new roles like they’re at some kind of buffet waiting to peruse the options and make their choice! Now, don’t get me wrong – I support merit selection and transparency in recruitment decisions, but I also believe that staff should be able to (and be expected to) be more proactive about pursuing roles of interest to them without the need for or expectation of formal, organisation-initiated recruitment processes.
I don’t think I’ve seen a staff survey, outcomes from a Divisional planning day, or Divisional ‘action plan’ that doesn’t propose the creation of some sort of job swap/staff mobility program to provide staff who have been in their position for a while and are seeking a change in role, with a facilitated opportunity to move to a different one. That said, for all the proposals I’ve seen, I’m not actually aware of a single program that has actually been successfully rolled out. I find myself frustrated at staff who continually ask for these mobility programs to be created to facilitate their movement. These staff seem to feel stuck and helpless and dependent on the organisation to set out a series of opportunities for them.
People have far more control over their jobs than they believe. If you want to be in a different role in your organisation (regardless of whether or not that role currently exists) you have enormous power to make it happen. How? Really, all you have to do is ask… (more…)
Published:
February 11, 2012 | Tagged: job, work |
By
Clare on
January 22, 2012
Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It: No Schedules, No Meetings, No Joke–the Big Idea That’s Already Transforming the Way We Work by Cali Ressler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I liked this book, but ended up wanting a bit more from it…
The book provides a very compelling argument as to why the current system of work/performance (largely based on time) is broken and the advantages of ROWE (Results-Only Work Environment). But for me, this was really preaching to the converted… I first read about ROWE on Tim Ferris’ blog (I think) and was attracted to the concept right away. I completely agree that work (and associated remuneration and performance measurement) should be based on value created rather than hours spent in an office.
But where I thought the book fell short (and where I personally wanted more) was in relation to helping managers and their staff manage solely on the basis of results. The book (pg 129-130) suggests that ‘ultimately a ROWE is not a test of the employees, it is a test of the manager’ and asks ‘Can they [managers] do their jobs communicating expectations and holding people accountable? Can they develop systems to get the information they need without doing it through drive-bys or fire drills?’. As a new-ish manager seeking to implement a more results-based performance culture in my team (a full ROWE is not something within my control) I would have appreciated some more guidance/ideas/tips on setting, communicating and measuring performance expectations, and providing feedback.
(more…)
Published:
January 22, 2012 | Tagged: book, work |
By
Clare on
January 11, 2012
My brother Andy and his business partner Luke are visiting Canberra to do some filming for an upcoming music video clip. I love hearing about Andy’s work (he and Luke run a Sydney-based creative agency SPR/PPL) as it’s so completely different from mine and I’m constantly amazed by the crazy, creative things he is able to do.
Tonight, as we sat around my dining room table while he put the finishing touches on his Grim Reaper-esque ‘gang’ jacket (a prop for the shoot), Andy told us about his day. The conversation went something like… ‘I didn’t have time to get to the post office to pick up my Styrofoam sculpting kit which I need to make five shark fins and a bee-hive, but I did manage to call our agent about organising a taxidermied polar bear, and I arranged for a fake palm tree to be delivered from Queensland’.
Umm… even on my most interesting, surprising days I couldn’t come close to topping that!
The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working: The Four Forgotten Needs That Energize Great Performance by Tony Schwartz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
My notes from The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working
[Disclaimer: The notes below are rough, and may be a mixture of direct quotes, paraphrasing, and my own thoughts/ideas/reminders. They're written here primarily for me (so they may not make much sense out of context, especially for those who haven't read the book)].
(8-9) Four primary energy needs: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
(11) Physical level – sustainability. Four factors are key: nutrition, fitness, sleep and rest.
(14) Perhaps no human need is more neglected in the workplace than to feel valued. Noticing what is wrong and what’s not working in our lives is a hardwired survival instinct. Expressing appreciation requires more conscious intention.
(more…)
