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1-Page Summary of It Doesn’t Have to Be Crazy At Work
Overview
When did people start working 70-hour weeks and not think it was a problem? How did companies convince employees that they’re their family instead of coworkers? Authors Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson answer these questions in Rework. They also provide a much-needed antidote to some crazy practices at the modern workplace.
Instead of working longer hours, you need to work smarter. There is a difference between hard work and smart work. You’ll learn why successful companies benefit from good work-life balance and how they can use that to their advantage in the long run.
In this article, you’ll discover how to run your company like a product. You’ll also learn how to fit all of your work into an eight-hour day and bring calmness to the office.
Big Idea #1: To scale back the crazy at work, start thinking of your company as a product.
How many times have you come home from work, collapsed on the couch and exclaimed, “It’s so crazy at work!” Unfortunately, in our modern era of long hours and weekend work sessions, this scenario can be a nightly occurrence. Welcome to the world of overworked employees who are expected to put in 70-hour weeks. What happens when people become overworked?
Unfortunately, the extra hours people are working aren’t spent on work that’s important. Instead, they’re wasted in a haze of anxiety and distractions brought about by new technologies and endless meetings. In fact, when you add all this stress together people become less productive than before. The real solution to this problem is to change workplace culture so it doesn’t cause stress for employees or customers.
The authors believe that companies should be viewed as products. If the company produces products, it’s also a tool used to make those products.
Keep in mind that a good product manager should constantly ask himself if his company is simple to use. Is it fast and slow at different places? Does it have any bugs (problems)? A good product manager should be looking for ways to make improvements, just like the best companies never stop trying to make their products as good as possible.
When you start searching for ways to improve your communication skills, be ready – there will definitely be some opportunities.
Organizations tend to crash just like software. They can be faulty and have oversights from developers. Luckily, you’re about to discover the secrets of keeping your organization running smoothly by phasing out some craziness.
Big Idea #2: Too many entrepreneurs are buying into crazy attitudes toward success and competition.
Social media is an effective way to keep in touch with friends, get new ideas and watch cat videos. It’s also a source of inspiration for workaholics who share quotes such as “Extreme talent isn’t necessary, but extreme commitment is!” or “Conquer your competition!”
Comments like these are often made for online forums, but they can have real-world consequences. One such attitude is that you have to work hard to succeed in business and life. But this isn’t true because progress is rarely achieved with brute force. Instead, it’s built on small steps over time, which is why Darwin worked only four hours per day on his books yet still managed to become one of the world’s most famous scientists.
Another idea that is unhelpful is the notion that the business world is a war zone. This attitude is reinforced by some people’s tendency to use battle language in business, such as “conquering competitors” and using phrases like “headhunting new employees.”
The workplace is a battlefield. People who are used to war analogies will start acting like soldiers, and that can lead to unethical behavior. Entrepreneurs especially might think of themselves as generals and their employees as the enemy, which leads them to behave unethically. Therefore, we need a new way of thinking about business that’s more productive than this “war” analogy.
