Taming the Work Week: Work Smarter Not Longer

by M.R. Nelson

How many hours do you work each week? Now think about how many of those hours at the office are actually productive. Seasoned project manager, M.R. Nelson, shares tips and tricks for managing the work week in this short ebook.Focusing on key productivity tactics and the concept of a personal work limit, this book will help you maximize your working hours while still making time for the life you want and deserve.

Genres: Business, Nonfiction

27 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 21, 2013

About the author

M.R. Nelson is manager of people and projects in the biotechnology industry, specializing in the intersection of science and information technology. After more than ten years as a hiring manager at various companies, she recently became an independent consultant. You can find her online at BeyondManaging.com, where she writes about management and productivity.

She is also the mother of two daughters, and an insistent child asking for stories when reading someone else’s stories was not possible led her to discover a love for inventing stories for children. She eventually decided to start writing these stories down, and is delighted to see them out in the world, entertaining other children.

Reviews

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went into this somewhat skeptical, but while not exactly novel it's still actually all very good advice. Even as someone who would laugh in your face if you suggested I work a 60 hour week, there's always room for improvement. In fact, I finished this wondering if I could get all my colleagues as psyched up about the idea of just working *better*, with a bit more scheduling and time management!

That said, this is an excellent blog post, rather than worthy of being called a 'book'. Still, I do appreciate the lack of pointless padding which most people in this kind of publishing are wont to do. So yes: recommended, but only if you're willing to put in a little work to make an actual change.

[Kevin Eikenberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve long been a student of productivity and improving my ability to use time. It is an important study for me both personally and professionally. I am spending more time reflecting on, trying and applying ideas in this area now, for a variety of reasons (some of which I will be sharing here in the future).

For those reasons, today I recommend this very short book – so short that five years ago it likely wouldn’t have been published, except as a pamphlet. And you can’t actually buy it in print, it is available as a Kindle book only.

Read more...

[Kamy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everyone is searching for the keys to better productivity and in this very short book, the author provides practical advice for increased productivity. The book offers five steps to increased productivity. The first two steps are the fundamental steps in developing your understanding how to improve your productivity. It was a very practical book backed by proven techniques for the author. A hallmark of the writing style is the easy manner in which the author conveys its message. A quick read that is easily completed in an afternoon.

[Katarina · Rating 3 out of 5]

***Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***

I like how the author does not promise the approach to be a panacea - I think too many self-help books make these promises and don't deliver. This short book has actionable tips on understanding how you are using your time, with recommendations on how to go about modifying that to be more effective. While some of the information was not new to me, as I've read several productivity books before, there were a few new tips that I will use.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

#NetGalley


Useful guide. I liked the approach of the author by simplifying the concepts in less to 50 pages to get productive by changing wrong life patterns and overworking for nothing. With less than 50 page, the author helps the reader to be more productive and enjoy life.

[Tricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Length is more an article not a book.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A couple of interesting ideas to put to use here ... particularly the idea that there's a point of diminishing returns (or even a negative effect) from working too many hours in a given period of time. I feel like I got my money's worth from this title ... I don't expect a $3 title to change my life in a significant way, but am happy to get a couple of ideas to put to use in my professional and personal lives.

[Merri Su · Rating 4 out of 5]

Straightforward, quick read with good insights on what causes work roadblocks and some good advice on how to overcome them. I especially liked the reminder that we don't all work the same or do the same work, so blanket productivity advice won't be useful for everyone. I came to work today excited to try out some of the techniques the author suggested.

[Marcia · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author should have put this on ezine articles because really, it's an article, not a book, and I feel a bit cheated to have paid US $4,99 (for South Africans).

[Katy · Rating 4 out of 5]

short and succint little book, some interesting insights and way of putting things.