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.

I got away for a week's holiday with my family during half-term. We were in gloriously sunny Cornwall, with desperately spotty wifi coverage, and I noticed that it was the first time since working for myself that I'd fully switched off. I realised there's a whole category of tasks (such as this newsletter) that I don't really think of as 'work' and that I therefore wouldn't prioritise in 'working hours'. These tasks often end up being picked up of an evening, and when my wife asks "are you working?", my response is a sheepish "Not really. But I'm not not working". I honestly never mind these tasks - they're usually creative or involve tinkering, which is very much my jam - but before holiday I was beginning to notice the impact of extended screen time on my sleep and mood so I'm taking the opportunity to try and reset that element of my routine.

I loved this article about approaches to problem solving. The thesis matches my observations from process redesign sessions and problem solving workshops - we are far more likely to add things in the name of solving a problem than we are to remove them. This leads to bloated processes, and over time generally becomes the source of more problems than it solves. 🎩

There was a fascinating discussion in my Clubhouse room recently which introduced me to the concept of Zettelkasten, a simple note-taking approach which enables thoughts and ideas to develop in a non-linear fashion. It appeals to the way I think, and also demonstrates a gap in my GTD system for stuff that falls in the gap between between actions and reference. 🎩

ISO 45003 appears to be in the process of being launched. The UK Psych Health & Safety podcast is a great starting point for learning about the standard which I hope is going to have a huge impact on the approach that organisations take to mental health in the workplace.

I'm doing another free Getting Things Done Masterclass on the 24th June, about distraction. I made a trailer!

To sign up, visit the Next Action Associates website.

Do Yourself A Favour... with Rich Kershaw

June saw the launch of 'Do Yourself A Favour', the sister podcast to this newsletter, where I'll be interviewing a range of knowledgeable, stylish and interesting people about their inspirations, epiphanies and workflow. Episode 1 saw me talking to self-described 'Tech and Process Ninja' Rich Kershaw

What do you wish you'd learned sooner?

How to detach my sense of professional value from the need to be right. And realising that people in the workplace often have very complex and opaque reasons for acting in a certain way.

What book made a difference to the way you thought about life?

A fairly well-known and extraordinarily silly book: The Dice Man by Luke Rhinehart. It reinforced to me that a lot of the stuff that people do by convention is arbitrary.

What tool could you not live without?

My Work-From-Home setup. (The full details of Rich's DIY sit/stand desk are explored in detail on the podcast).

What was the last really useful thing you bought or acquired?

A home hydroponics setup from a company called Click And Grow. We live in an apartment block, with no opportunity to grow things. Having this mechanism that allows us to have a bit of greenery and feel like we're doing something vaguely nature-related is pretty great.

Complete the sentence: Do yourself a favour and...?

Get Therapy. Or at least figure out how to get better self-awareness.

Do Yourself A Favour Podcast - ...And Get Therapy (with Rich Kershaw) | Free Listening on Podbean App

Tim is joined by CTO, tech strategist and startup mentor Rich Kershaw. We talk about the arbitrary nature of workplace traditions, not having to always be right, and how self-awareness is a superpower. Find the Show Notes at https://tinyurl.com/DYAFshownotes

Digging In The Shelves

chosen at random by Rick Kershaw

Mind Bomb - Trippin' Thru' The Minefield

For a period in the early '90s Dave 'The Ruf' Davies was independent UK hip-hop. Jeep Beat Collective, Hearts of Darkness, Godfather of Weird and the Mighty Mind Bomb were all Ruf Beats projects and shared an old-skool love of heavy production, funk, soul and jazz samples and hectic scratch breaks, with a peculiarly British self-deprecating take on rap's braggadocio ("So I'm back to the lab / until I get it right"). This set is notable partly for an early appearance by dubstep producer and Texas remixer DJ Mark One.

And that's yer lot - what do you think, is it starting to come together a little? More in a few weeks, and don't forget to check the podcast in the meantime.

Cheerio
Tim