CEO of Me
Creating a Life that Works in the Flexible Job Age
Published on 17. January 2008
Book
Hardback
208 pages
978-0-13-234999-4 (ISBN)
Description
You are the CEO of your life: 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 seen: there are no cliches 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.
Reviews / Votes
"All in all, however, anyone looking for an optimistic and constructive self-help book that offers insights into the relationship between work and life will find much of value in CEO of Me." (HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, Winter 2008)More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Upper Saddle River
United States
Publishing group
Pearson Education (US)
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 231 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
390 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-13-234999-4 (9780132349994)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
ELLEN ERNST KOSSEK, professor at Michigan State University's School of Labor & Industrial Relations (Ph.D. Yale), is a leading expert on research on improving relationships between work, family, and personal life in organizations, new ways of working related to flexibility (telecommuting, flextime, reduced-load work), management of talent and diversity in the global multicultural firm, and workplace innovation and change. She has published dozens of articles and a number of books on these topics. She was elected to the Board of Governors of the National Academy of Management, chair of the Gender and Diversity in Organizations Division, and fellow of American Psychological Association and Society of Industrial Organizational Psychology. Her research on work and personal life has been supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the Gerber Foundation, and major corporations. She has taught managers in North America, Europe, and Asia. She is married with four children.
BRENDA A. LAUTSCH, associate professor at Simon Fraser University in Canada, received her Ph.D. in industrial relations and human resources management from The MIT Sloan School of Management. Her research examines the equity and work-life implications of new ways of working, including contingent and flexible work forms. Her work appears in leading journals such as the Industrial and Labor Relations Review, the Journal of Vocational Behavior, and Industrial Relations. She is married with two delightful sons (Oscar age 4 and Kaspar age 7 months).
BRENDA A. LAUTSCH, associate professor at Simon Fraser University in Canada, received her Ph.D. in industrial relations and human resources management from The MIT Sloan School of Management. Her research examines the equity and work-life implications of new ways of working, including contingent and flexible work forms. Her work appears in leading journals such as the Industrial and Labor Relations Review, the Journal of Vocational Behavior, and Industrial Relations. She is married with two delightful sons (Oscar age 4 and Kaspar age 7 months).
Content
Preface xvii
Chapter 1 Are You the CEO of Your Working Life? 1
Do You Want to Change How You Are Balancing Work and Personal Life? 1
You Are the CEO of Your Life Starting Today! 4
To Make a Change, Begin Your Self-Reflective Journey by Conducting a "Life Bucket Analysis" 11
Why Change Is Tough 14
Chapter 2 Knowing Your Flexstyle 17
Flexstyles: The Good and Bad Ways We Manage Relationships Between Work and Personal Life 17
Types of Flexstyles 19
What's Your Flexstyle? Where Do You Fit In? 31
Self-Assessment: Identifying Your Flexstyle 32
Closing 34
Chapter 3 Weighing the Tradeoffs 35
Erin's Story: Addicted to Work First 36
Preparing for Change: Understanding the Tradeoffs of Different Flexstyles 37
Creating a Life That Works 40
Chapter 4 Tradeoffs of Using Flexibility or Higher Work-Life Integration 41
Cynthia: Profile of a Reluctant Reactor 41
Alyssa's Story of a Fusion Lover 45
Tradeoffs of Integrating Flexstyles 46
Special Considerations for Reactors 48
Self-Assessment Tools on Tradeoffs 49
Chapter 5 Tradeoffs of Compartmentalizing Work and Personal Life 55
Firsters: Making Your Priorities Clear Wherever You Are 55
Family Firsters 56
Work Firsters 59
Captives 60
For Separators: Weighing the Tradeoffs in Your Life 65
Chapter 6 Tradeoffs of Volleying Between Work and Family 69
Sarah's Story: Striving to Protect "Quality Time" 70
Quality Timers' Tradeoffs and Strategies for Making Life Work 71
Chapter 7 Changes Everyone Can Make to Improve Quality of Life 85
Small Steps You Can Take to Begin to Gain Control 85
Step 1: Self-Monitoring 87
Step 2: Developing a Commitment to Change 90
Step 3: Envisioning Alternatives 95
Step 4: Creating the Right Context for Change 97
Step 5: Experimentation 99
Conclusion 100
Chapter 8 Tailoring Change to Your Particular Flexstyle 103
Gaining Control, Countering Tradeoffs,and Exploring Flexstyle Options 103
Change Strategy 1: Gaining Control 104
Change Strategy 2: Reducing the Disadvantages of Your Current Flexstyle 110
Change Strategy 3: Exploring New Flexstyles 116
Conclusion 125
Chapter 9 Negotiating a New Flexstyle and a Life That Works on Your Terms 129
Negotiation: Finding Your Voice 129
The New Deal Larry Wants 131
Preparation Negotiation Tactics 132
Collaboration Tactics 140
Final Thoughts 145
Chapter 10 Not Going It Alone: Making Sustainable Change at Your Workplace 149
Taking the Risk to Establish New Norms at Your Workplace 149
Clean Up Your Own Backyard and Neighborhood 151
Understand the Challenges of Those in Most Need 152
Time for Change 157
Dialogue to Change Attitudes and Culture 158
Improve Work Processes 164
Looking to the Future 168
Appendix Flexstyle Web Site and Overview of Assessments 169
Flexstyle Web Site 169
Sample Qualitative Interview Questions 169
Overview of Survey Instrument 171
Notes 179
Chapter 1 Are You the CEO of Your Working Life? 1
Do You Want to Change How You Are Balancing Work and Personal Life? 1
You Are the CEO of Your Life Starting Today! 4
To Make a Change, Begin Your Self-Reflective Journey by Conducting a "Life Bucket Analysis" 11
Why Change Is Tough 14
Chapter 2 Knowing Your Flexstyle 17
Flexstyles: The Good and Bad Ways We Manage Relationships Between Work and Personal Life 17
Types of Flexstyles 19
What's Your Flexstyle? Where Do You Fit In? 31
Self-Assessment: Identifying Your Flexstyle 32
Closing 34
Chapter 3 Weighing the Tradeoffs 35
Erin's Story: Addicted to Work First 36
Preparing for Change: Understanding the Tradeoffs of Different Flexstyles 37
Creating a Life That Works 40
Chapter 4 Tradeoffs of Using Flexibility or Higher Work-Life Integration 41
Cynthia: Profile of a Reluctant Reactor 41
Alyssa's Story of a Fusion Lover 45
Tradeoffs of Integrating Flexstyles 46
Special Considerations for Reactors 48
Self-Assessment Tools on Tradeoffs 49
Chapter 5 Tradeoffs of Compartmentalizing Work and Personal Life 55
Firsters: Making Your Priorities Clear Wherever You Are 55
Family Firsters 56
Work Firsters 59
Captives 60
For Separators: Weighing the Tradeoffs in Your Life 65
Chapter 6 Tradeoffs of Volleying Between Work and Family 69
Sarah's Story: Striving to Protect "Quality Time" 70
Quality Timers' Tradeoffs and Strategies for Making Life Work 71
Chapter 7 Changes Everyone Can Make to Improve Quality of Life 85
Small Steps You Can Take to Begin to Gain Control 85
Step 1: Self-Monitoring 87
Step 2: Developing a Commitment to Change 90
Step 3: Envisioning Alternatives 95
Step 4: Creating the Right Context for Change 97
Step 5: Experimentation 99
Conclusion 100
Chapter 8 Tailoring Change to Your Particular Flexstyle 103
Gaining Control, Countering Tradeoffs,and Exploring Flexstyle Options 103
Change Strategy 1: Gaining Control 104
Change Strategy 2: Reducing the Disadvantages of Your Current Flexstyle 110
Change Strategy 3: Exploring New Flexstyles 116
Conclusion 125
Chapter 9 Negotiating a New Flexstyle and a Life That Works on Your Terms 129
Negotiation: Finding Your Voice 129
The New Deal Larry Wants 131
Preparation Negotiation Tactics 132
Collaboration Tactics 140
Final Thoughts 145
Chapter 10 Not Going It Alone: Making Sustainable Change at Your Workplace 149
Taking the Risk to Establish New Norms at Your Workplace 149
Clean Up Your Own Backyard and Neighborhood 151
Understand the Challenges of Those in Most Need 152
Time for Change 157
Dialogue to Change Attitudes and Culture 158
Improve Work Processes 164
Looking to the Future 168
Appendix Flexstyle Web Site and Overview of Assessments 169
Flexstyle Web Site 169
Sample Qualitative Interview Questions 169
Overview of Survey Instrument 171
Notes 179