3 more books finished in the last week. From rethinking productivity to what behaviors are tolerated in an environment to how to cultivate a workplace where character-based decisions are honored, I always appreciate what triggers reflection.
“Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout” by Cal Newport
I appreciate Cal’s continued efforts to help us all do better, more intentional and deeper, more focused work. Management and work theory hasn’t kept up with knowledge work & many are caught up in busyness and what he refers to as “pseudo-productivity.”
A few ideas that resonated with me:
❗️ PSEUDO-PRODUCTIVITY: The use of visible activity as the primary means of approximating actual productive effort
🤔 Doing work in seasons … including small seasons of choosing a slower, more intentional pace.
‼️ Slow productivity supports legacy-building accomplishments but allows them to unfold at a more human speed.
📆 Practical advice, like making a five-year plan, limiting missions and projects - and finding the time on your calendar BEFORE you commit.
✔️ Obsessing over quality, the discipline of getting better … what in the last he referred to as the craftsman mindset.
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“No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t” by Bob Sutton
💡 The difference between how someone treats the powerless vs. the powerful is as good a measure of character as any.
😳 Bullies in the workplace have an often unseen ripple impact.
‼️ Reminders of what power can do:
— Overvalue their expertise
— Expect others to just “fall in line”
✔️ Leaders need to take active steps to mitigate the power distance between them and those they lead.
⭐️ Organizations need to help people learn how to work together through conflict or “teach people how to fight.”
❗️ Link big policies to small decencies.
‼️ How people treat people when things aren’t going well is the true sign of an organizational culture.
💡 How we frame our situation will impact how you treat people in it.
😳 The danger of how toxic & bullying can spread.
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“The Conscience Code” by Richard Shell
Written from the perspective of someone who has heard the struggles of real people in different workplaces, a few thoughts that have me thinking:
✔️ Standing up for yourself and your values affirms your true character
⭐️ Person of conscience: someone who takes actions in everyday professional life that protect & promote the human good.
🤔 When you feel the temptation to minimize a value rather than own it, ask yourself - who might suffer if I fail to act?
‼️ Anger is a wake up call, warning that your values are facing a full-on threat.
💡 Values can easily get lost in the rush of everyday life.
✔️ Good character habits are best nurtured through daily practice.
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