Making Work Work : New Strategies for Surviving and Thriving at the Office

Rating:
Summary: A Broad Set of Useful Tips
Review:
We spend a lot of time, a lot of our lives working. As such it makes sense to progress at work, get as much out of your job as you can, and above all else to enjoy working so that you are not spending so much time in an unplesant atmosphere.

At first glance this book appears oriented to the female employee. As you read it, it is just as applicable to the male worker. The techniques, hints and tips are not gender specific. Most of them are oriented around work, but there is a chapter on the work/life balance. You don't want to grow older wondering where your life went. As the old saying goes, no one would want their tombstone to to read -- I should have spent more time at work.

The book is filled with short and direct tips that say do this one thing. Later you can move to the next step having accomplished the first step.

Rating:
Summary: It works!
Review: As a career consultant, I often find myself frustrated with mindless career advice. So it's a treat to open this book and find some truly original ideas that I can recommend to my clients and ezine readers. And, amazingly, Morgenstern's book will be appropriate to a variety of readers and career stages. It's not just for entry-level beginners or senior vice presidents. We can all read and learn here.

Happiness, says Morgenstern, means "liking what you're doing and being good at it, feeling connected, in control, successful and balanced." Now there's a realistic definition that we can work with!

I like Morgenstern's listing of nine competencies. Most are straightforward and you're heard some before, but they're presented insightfully. For instance, "organize at the speed of change" and develop an "entrepreneurial mindset" have become essential in today's world; you probably know you need to delegate and work well with others, but we can never hear this message too often.

Perhaps the most striking insight is, "Sometimes it's not you! Sometimes it's them holding you back." In working with live clients, I find that identifying this difference can be key to long-term career success, not to mention santiy.

Other messages I support wholeheartedly: "Your personal life is an investment in your work."
"Try neglecting one small task." (So true! Often nobody notices even when you neglect the big tasks!)
and
"Own your career so you're not a victim."

Well said.

This book's layout could be more visually appealing; it's not the author's fault, but the pages sometimes seem crowded. However, it's worth digging. I will be recommending this book on my ezine page and will encourage many of my clients to give themselves this book as a gift.