CEO of Me Creating a Life That Works in the Flexible Job Age (paperback)

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).

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

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

Erin’s Story: Addicted to Work First  36

Preparing for Change: Understanding the Tradeoffs of Different Flexstyles 37

Creating a Life That Works 40

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

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

Sarah’s Story: Striving to Protect “Quality Time” 70

Quality Timers’ Tradeoffs and Strategies for Making Life Work  71

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

Negotiation: Finding Your Voice 129

The New Deal Larry Wants 131

Preparation Negotiation Tactics  132

Collaboration Tactics 140

Final Thoughts  145

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

Flexstyle Web Site  169

Sample Qualitative Interview Questions 169

Overview of Survey Instrument  171

The New copy of this book will include any supplemental materials advertised. Please check the title of the book to determine if it should include any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.

The Used, Rental and eBook copies of this book are not guaranteed to include any supplemental materials. Typically, only the book itself is included. This is true even if the title states it includes any access cards, study guides, lab manuals, CDs, etc.