The Way We're Working ISN'T WORKING by Tony Schwartz

BMP Review

NY Times bestseller “The Way We’re Working ISN’T WORKING” by Tony Schwartz, founder and president of the Energy Project*, is a book that addresses professional efficiency alongside personal balance and well being, aiming for an improvement in both. 

While some of the recommendations may seem obvious – eat well, exercise, get more sleep – so many of us are not acting upon them in our own lives that we owe it to ourselves to better understand why.  Each logically laid out chapter is concluded with a list of action steps.  This helps the book bridge the transition from just another work-life balance how-to to an actionable guide designed to promote real and permanent change. 

One of the key concepts early in the book is that “We can’t change what we don’t notice.”  Paying more attention to the choices we make (whether we realize we are making them or not) and the consequences to our well being is the first step to change:

“Awareness increases our knowledge, and knowledge enriches us.  The more we’re willing to see, the bigger our world becomes.  Learning to observe our feelings as they arise, rather than simply acting them out, allows us to make more reflective, intentional choices about how we want to show up in the world.” (p. 27)

One of my former colleagues often discussed what he called “purposeful sourcing” in the course of a project.  The conversations it generated were always interesting, and highlighted the additional effort (and corresponding results) required to work with purpose.  Paying attention to what you’re doing, and doing what you do for a reason may seem just as obvious as eating salads and choosing the stairs over the elevator, but just as few of us are doing it.  Personal responsibility, and therefore empowerment, is within the grasp of each of us.  All we need is a well laid out plan to get started – and this book is an excellent example.

 -- Kelly Barner, Co-owner Buyers Meeting Point

 * The Energy Project […] helps individuals and organizations harness the science of high performance to fuel energy, engagement, focus and productivity.  For more information, visit http://www.theenergyproject.com