Book Review: Nine Lies About Work

A few years ago, I read a New York Times article that changed my life. That may sound overly dramatic, but the effects of it show up repeatedly in my blog posts, including My Yearly Reflection and Planning and Writing and Labeling in a Journal. It’s why I knew Cookie Club was so important to me and it’s why I knew I should stop being a manager.

While writing one of those posts, I discovered that the article was based on a book. I was more than a little embarrassed to realize that I wasn’t crediting the ultimate source, and worse, that I hadn’t read that source.

I have finally rectified my mistake by reading the book Nine Lies About Work, and I’m so happy that I have. In this post, I share some of my notes from the book. Nine Lies About Work is nominally aimed at managers, but I think it is also useful for anyone who has a manager. Most importantly, I encourage everyone to read chapter eight about love in work.

How to Work With David

Everyone is different, with their own unique interests and quirks. If you can tailor your interactions for each of your colleagues, you can get more out of them. If you make it easy for your colleagues to understand and adjust to you, they can get more out of you. In both cases, you end up with a more productive and enjoyable environment.

This post is my attempt to make it easier for my colleagues to understand and adjust to me. I wish to provide to anyone who works with me, the tools to get the most out of me. It builds upon (but does not depend upon) my previous post on learnings about myself. Additionally, I hope that this post may provide you with tools to work with anyone who happens to be like me, as well as the inspiration to share your own guide so that I may adjust to you.

My son standing on a wooden bridge on a hiking trail. He built the bridge with my help.

Learning About Myself

Two years ago I was hiking with two friends in the pouring rain on the side of a mountain in New Hampshire. We were a few hours into a two night backpacking trip and we were soaked through. For many people this experience would be hellish. It wasn’t for me. I knew we were well prepared and we were doing something that I love. It was the start of a great trip.

 
I spend a lot of time reflecting. I do this to work towards being my best self. I structure my life based on these learnings, making sure I satisfy my basic needs, do more of the things that give me energy, and limit my exposure to the things that steal my energy. Today, I would like to share what I have learned about myself. Maybe it will help you understand me a little bit better. Maybe it will inspire you to reflect on how to work towards your best self.

Our view from Zealand Cliff in the White Mountains, several hours after hiking in the rain. Photo by Jay Doyle.