We can all use tips for being more productive in the workplace. In How We Work by Leah Weiss, she explores how to be more productive, successful, and mindful in our daily interactions with the work we do. Her book is another addition to the genre of business success books that advocate practicing mindfulness as a means toward greater happiness all-around. She advocates that we understand purpose, writing:
Purpose is something we do, something we create–not something we buy, inherit, achieve, or otherwise obtain. Purpose boosts our capacity to make the greatest impact in the work we do, and to connect with other people across cultures and contexts, however powerless or lonely we might feel. We are energized, motivated, and expanded by a sense of purpose. (65)
So often, we feel that purpose is about achievement or think in terms of “if only I knew what my purpose was.” Weiss, instead, asks us to instead think of “purpose” as a direction in which we are heading with intention. It’s something we create for ourselves, not something we happen upon or are somehow given by someone else. To have purpose in work is to have an underlying motivating factor in doing the things that we’re doing to become successful.
Weiss’s book is a great resource – both for those starting out in their careers and for those who are tired of feeling burned out in their careers. If you feel like your life needs a reboot, check out the wisdom she has to offer in How We Work.
About How We Work
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Harper Wave (March 13, 2018)
“I have long thought that what the Buddha taught can be seen as a highly developed science of mind which, if made more accessible to a lay audience, could benefit many people. I believe that Dr. Weiss’s book, in combining such insights with science and good business practice, offers an effective mindfulness based program that many will find helpful.” –His Holiness, the Dalai Lama
A practical guide to bringing our whole selves to our professional work, based on the author’s overwhelmingly popular course at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
In today’s workplace, the traditional boundaries between “work” and “personal” are neither realistic nor relevant. From millennials seeking employment in the sharing economy to Gen Xers telecommuting to Baby Boomers creating a meaningful second act, the line that separates who we are from the work we do is blurrier than ever.
The truth is, we don’t show up for our jobs as a portion of ourselves—by necessity, we bring both our hearts and our minds to everything we do. In How We Work, mindfulness expert and creator of the perennially-waitlisted Stanford Business School course “Leading with Mindfulness and Compassion” Dr. Leah Weiss explains why this false dichotomy can be destructive to both our mental health and our professional success.
The bad news, says Weiss, is that nothing provides more opportunities for negative emotions—anxiety, anger, envy, fear, and paranoia, to name a few—than the dynamics of the workplace. But the good news is that these feelings matter. How we feel at and about work matters—to ourselves, to the quality of our work, and ultimately to the success of the organizations for which we work.
The path to productivity and success, says Weiss, is not to change jobs, to compartmentalize our feelings, or to create a false “professional” identity—but rather to listen to the wisdom our feelings offer. Using mindfulness techniques, we can learn how to attend to difficult feelings without becoming subsumed by them; we can develop an awareness of our bigger picture goals that orients us and allows us to see purpose in even the most menial tasks. In How We Work, Weiss offers a set of practical, evidence-based strategies for practicing mindfulness in the real world, showing readers not just how to survive another day, but how to use ancient wisdom traditions to sharpen their abilities, enhance their leadership and interpersonal skills, and improve their satisfaction.
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About Leah Weiss, PhD
Leah Weiss, PhD, is a researcher, professor, consultant, and author. She teaches courses on compassionate leadership at the Stanford Graduate School of Business and is principal teacher and founding faculty for Stanford’s Compassion Cultivation Program, conceived by the Dalai Lama. She also directs Compassion Education and Scholarship at HopeLab, an Omidyar Group research and development nonprofit focused on resilience. She lives in Palo Alto, California with her husband and three children.
Find out more about Leah at her website, and connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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