ARE YOU TRAPPED IN ONE OF THOSE BULLSH*T JOBS?

 

 

Book Review

I was pleased to receive an Advance Reader's Copy of "Bullshit Jobs: A Theory" by David Graeber ...:

(Publisher: Simon & Schuster; Release Date: May 15, 2018; ISBN-13: 978-1-50-114331- 1; Price: USD 27.00)

THERE IS LITTLE OR NO DOUBT THAT SOME OF US HAVE JOBS WE DISLIKE FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS. BUT FEW OF US ACTUALLY CONSIDER THE SOCIAL VALUE OF THE JOBS WE PERFORM. 

In this book, a  social scientist classifies “bullshit jobs” and differentiates them from “shit jobs” as he goes about the task of moving beyond the economic value of jobs to a more inclusive understanding of a job’s social value. 

Following Chapter One -- "What is a Bullshit Job?" comes my favorite chapter. Chapter Two -- "What Sorts of Bullshit Jobs Are There?."  

• The Five Major Varieties of Bullshit Jobs
• What Flunkies Do 
• What Goons Do
• What Duct Tapers Do 
• What Box Tickers Do
• What Taskmasters Do
• On Complex Multiform Bullshit Jobs 
• A Word on Second-Order Bullshit Jobs 
• A Final Note, with a Brief Return to the Question: Is It Possible to Have a Bullshit Job and Not Know It?

The purpose of this book is to provide a structured look at jobs and their value to society. It will not help you to perform your job but will help you decide if your job is an unsatisfying dead end and worthy of being replaced by a more fulfilling and socially useful endeavor. 

Yes, there are negatives?  

One, this 368+ page book is not one of those "easy to read in an afternoon" self-help tomes. It is a serious, professional examination of the nature and characteristics of meaningless jobs, how they are created, and what value they have to society. Something that might be expected from a Professor of Anthropology at the London School of Economics.

And two, this book is recommended for people seeking an understanding of time-filling jobs that add little or nothing to societal well-being. It is more a "why" book than a "how book."

From the Publisher ...

"Does your job make a meaningful contribution to the world? In the spring of 2013, David Graeber asked this question in a playful, provocative essay titled “On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs.” It went viral. After a million online views in seventeen different languages, people all over the world are still debating the answer.

There are millions of people—HR consultants, communication coordinators, telemarketing researchers, corporate lawyers—whose jobs are useless, and, tragically, they know it. These people are caught in bullshit jobs.

Graeber explores one of society’s most vexing and deeply felt concerns, indicting among other villains a particular strain of finance capitalism that betrays ideals shared by thinkers ranging from Keynes to Lincoln. Bullshit Jobs gives individuals, corporations, and societies permission to undergo a shift in values, placing creative and caring work at the center of our culture. This book is for everyone who wants to turn their vocation back into an avocation."

This is not a book for a mass audience, but for individuals who want to add value to society as well as earning an income. 

RISK MANAGEMENT

 

 

Book Review

I was pleased to receive an Advance Reader's Copy of "Fundamentals of Risk Management: Understanding, evaluating and implementing effective risk management" by Paul Hopkin ...:

(Publisher: Kogan Page, Ltd; Release Date: July 2018 ISBN-13 978-0-74-948307-4; Price: USD 60.00)

WE LIVE IN AN UNCERTAIN WORLD. SO IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE RISKS FACING YOUR ORGANIZATION AND POSSIBLY AFFECTING YOUR POSITION, THIS IS A MUST READ BOOK. 

Anywhere you live or travel there are risks to your life, your family, and your property. Today, these risks may include damage to your reputation, identity theft, cyber-crime, risks involving the violation of unknown or unfamiliar rules and regulations, terrorism, and any number of other risks that can pose existential or consequential threats to your well-being. 

And then there are the risks facing organizations -- systemic risks, environmental risks, and the risks of commerce in the marketplace. It is to this group of risks that Fundamentals of Risk Management speaks. Whether you are a student, a manager, or an executive, this book will provide you with the type of working foundation needed to discuss risk among your employees, management, vendors, and insurers. 

In this context, risk management therefore is nothing more than a framework to assist you in the identification, evaluation, probabilistic prioritization, and mitigation of these organizational threats.   

Fundamentals of Risk Management helps you to establish your own organizational early wanting system to detect and mitigate impending risks using a systematic methodology.  

Yes, there are negatives?  

This 450+ page book is not one of those "easy to read in an afternoon" self-help tomes. It is a serious, professional examination of the nature and characteristics of risk and how risks may be measured and mitigated. 

Two, this book is recommended for the professional supervisor, manager or executive who must cope with organizational risks that impact their continued employment and the continuity of their organizations.  

Three, for individuals who are more concerned with immediate personal, not organizational risks, I suggest that you peruse some of the fine survivalist literature freely available on the internet. 

From the publisher ...

This fifth edition of Fundamentals of Risk Management is a comprehensive introduction to commercial and business risk for students and risk professionals.

Providing extensive coverage of the core frameworks of business continuity planning, enterprise risk management, and project risk management, this is the definitive guide to dealing with the different types of risk an organization faces. With relevant international case examples including Ericsson, Network Rail, and Unilever, the book provides a full analysis of changes in contemporary risk areas including supply chain, cyber risk, risk culture and appetite, improvements in risk management documentation and statutory risk reporting.

Now revised to be completely aligned with the recently updated ISO 31000 and COSO ERM Framework, this comprehensive text reflects developments in regulations, reputation risk, loss control and the value of insurance as a risk management method.

Also including a thorough overview of international risk management standards and frameworks, strategy and policy, Fundamentals of Risk Management is the definitive text for those beginning or considering a career in risk.

Like most business books, the advice is a mixture of common sense and time-tested practices. And like most things in life, your results will vary and will be proportional to the amount of time and effort you bring to the table. 

ASK A MANAGER: A EXPERIENCED MENTOR IN BOOK FORM

 

 

Book Review

I was pleased to receive an Advance Reader's Copy of "Ask a Manage: How to Navigate Clueless Colleagues, Lunch-Stealing Bosses, and the Rest of Your Life at Work" by Alison Green ...:

(Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books; Publishing Date:  May 2018 ISBN-13 978-0-39-918181-8; Price: USD 16.00)

Embarrassing questions or tricky situations: "ask a manager" with zero risk of further embarrassment or adverse consequences. 

This book should serve as a sourcebook of ideas and suggestions on how to cope with those difficult situations that arise in day-to-day company life. It appears, at least to me, that this book would best serve new employees, but can serve as a refresher course for older and more seasoned individuals.  

The book's value lies mostly in the snippets of suggested wording that will help you formulate an effective response to the situation at hand. 

I would have no problem with recommending this book to my readers -- especially after they visited the author's website to get a sampling of her style in dealing with office issues.

Yes, there are negatives?  

One, like most business advice, it is easier said than done and requires a certain amount of intestinal fortitude to face down your boss. 

Two, this book lacks a "keyword" index that would allow you to more quickly access and deal with a particular issue. Since this is an advance copy, perhaps that will be a feature that will be added during the publication process.

Three, much of the information is freely available on the internet at the author's website and by using a Google search you may be able to access those items that did not make it into the book. 

From the publisher ...

From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York magazine’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to navigating 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice!
 
 There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when
  
• coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it
• you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all”
• you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all
• you catch a colleague in a lie
• your boss seems unhappy with your work
• your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal
• you got drunk at the holiday party

Like most business books, the advice is a mixture of common sense and time-tested practices. And like most things in life, your results will vary and will be proportional to the amount of time and effort you bring to the table.