The Simplicity Survival Handbook
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The Simplicity Survival Handbook

32 Ways to Do Less and Accomplish More

Bill Jensen
Basic Books, 2003
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Editorial Rating

8

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Recommendation

Millions of employees walk out of staff meetings every day muttering, “What a bunch of garbage” or “I can’t believe we wasted an hour on that.” Then they return to their desks, and to the harsh reality of having too much work to do and not enough time. Bill Jensen’s dead-on-target observations about the typical workplace will have you nodding in agreement. His irreverent approach is entertaining and informative. He explains the differences between meaningful work and all the pointless “baloney” that inevitably comes your way. More importantly, the author offers terrific suggestions for how to deal with oppressive bosses, insensitive co-workers and institutional silliness. getAbstract recommends Jensen’s fun book if you want an entirely new perspective on your work.

Summary

Clean Out the E-Mail Clutter

If you’re a typical employee, you feel obligated to reply to every e-mail, voicemail, text message and memo you receive. In reality, you should ignore most of the stuff that comes your way if the onslaught of nonurgent communications from within your company makes it virtually impossible to do your job properly. The day simply doesn’t have enough hours for you to respond to everyone while tending to your mandatory responsibilities.

To be relevant, every piece of information – whether it comes from the CEO or a mailroom clerk – must include an “action you must take” and a deadline. For instance, you can’t ignore an e-mail that asks you to choose your health-care plan by April 15. But you can delete a memo announcing the formation of a company bowling team. Don’t worry – chances are excellent that you will receive the same e-mail two or three times. Statistics show that employees can ignore three-quarters of the communication they receive and not suffer any repercussions. Managers and employees typically have divergent opinions about what qualifies as “important” communication. You – not your managers – should be in charge of deciding how...

About the Author

Bill Jensen is president of his own change consulting firm, and is the author of Simplicity and Work 2.0.

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