Hello! I'm Tim from Make Work Work Better, and welcome to my brilliantly-named newsletter, The Make Work Work Letter.
Make Work Work Better exists to transform Workplace Wellbeing, by focussing on the working practices and processes that lead to stress and burnout. I'll be using the newsletter to compile thoughts, material and links around this mission as well as recommendations and tips on working and living smarter, not harder.
As lockdown continues to ease I've been trying to get out and about a little more, having meetings in person where possible and even venturing out of Warwickshire to see friends and family. It's led me to reflect on some of the nuances of interaction that we've been deprived of this last year: how a simple and spontaneous change of venue can affect the energy of a meeting; the babble of cross-talk that is a sign of engagement and enthusiasm in-person but a cacophony on Zoom; the forgotten stress of having to be at a place at a time.
The rollout of ISO 45003 continues apace. I've had time to do some training and reading, and get my head around the implications of the standard for Mental Health in the workplace, which are potentially huge. I'm compiling a list of resources - along with information on how Make Work Work Better can help prepare for and implement 45003 in organisations - on the ISO45003 page on my website. And I have started a series of videos on the topic!
I'm a sucker for a 'how I work' article, especially those featuring artists, writers or musicians. I'm fascinated how often process, habit and order are high priorities for professional creators, to give themselves the space to do their artistic work. Recent examples of this I've found are this great interview with James T Green at the Creative Independent, the podcast Screaming Into The Hollywood Abyss and Antony Johnston's The Organised Writer.
Notion is one of my favourite online productivity tools. I use it as the basis for my GTD system, but also my CRM, project management tool and reading list. It's incredibly flexible and powerful, and tickles my dormant techie tendencies. Earlier this month they held BlockxBlock, their first European User Conference and the excitement in their growing community was palpable. At a time when there's a lot of talk about the toxicity of internet discourse, it was a lovely reminder of the old days of like-minded nerds getting excited about the possibility of technology.
Do Yourself A Favour... with Anish Hindocha
The guest on Episode 2 of our sister podcast was Nicest Guy On LinkedIn, Mr Culture Himself Anish Hindocha
What do you wish you'd learned sooner?
That there's no such thing as a 'career' any more. I think I'd have been a bit more courageous. I might have given myself permission to experiment more.
What book made a difference to the way you thought about life?
Not a book, but the concept of Lean Thinking. It encapsulates so much that is positive about work - how people lead, listening to the voice of the customer, driving work activity around what the customer finds valuable - beyond its very robust problem solving methodology
What was the last really useful thing you bought or acquired?
I bought this microphone I'm speaking to you on, a Blue Yeti. It was recommended to me by my good friend Pilar Orti, who is a seasoned podcaster.
Complete the sentence: Do yourself a favour and...?
Stop Overthinking. I'm definitely an over thinker, and often the worst never happens. Richard Branson wrote a book called 'Screw It Let's Do It'. I've been leading with that for the last year.
Do Yourself A Favour Podcast - ...And Stop Overthinking (with Anish Hindocha) | Free Listening on Podbean App
Anish Hindocha of Jigsaw Consulting joined Tim to talk about the future of work, process improvement and being bad at DIY. Show notes for the episode can be found at https://doyourselfafavour.notion.site
Digging In The Shelves
chosen at random by Anish Hindocha
Jeff Wayne - La Guerro de los Mundos
This is a funny little oddity in my collection. It's the musical version of War of The Worlds from 1978, featuring Richard Burton, Phil Lynott, David Essex, Justin Hayward et al, only the sleeve is all in Spanish. Purchased second-hand (maybe at a record fair) for novelty value, the opening cut 'Eve of the War' popped up occasionally at breakdance battles in murky Leamington Spa basement venues in the mid-naughties.
More in a few weeks, and don't forget to check the podcast in the meantime!
Cheerio
Tim