For workers who struggle with their own productivity at the office, especially those who face discrimination or prejudice, the key is to mix and match elements from multiple techniques that work best for you.
Alan Henry
Alan Henry‘s new book, Seen Heard & Paid: The New Work Rules for the Marginalized, is the manual on how to be productive when you feel marginalized.
I should preface this by stating my bias. I started following Alan Henry when he was at LifeHacker. I loved reading his annual “How I work” columns to hear which tech tools he was using and how. He has the Smarter Living editor at the New York Times and is currently a senior editor at WIRED. I was lucky to write two pieces for him (one on got-done lists and another on someday-maybe-later lists). I learned from his suggestions and changes. But, I also learned from his rejections. He was kind enough to take the time to explain why an article I wanted to write wouldn’t work for his publication.
When I got my copy of his first book, I devoured it. His candid stories of being ignored or pushed aside resonated with me. They not only reminded me of my own stories but that of so many clients’ too.
Now I recommend it to everyone–not just to anyone who feels marginalized at work, but to anyone who manages others. Moreover, everyone could benefit from the charts on pages 166-168 where he lays out the popular productivity methods and aligns apps with the purpose each best serves.
Of course, this book is not just about productivity tools. Alan Henry provides specific tactics for promoting yourself at work and backs it up with research he succinctly summarizes.
Gardening notes
In this photo, you can see the only blooms in our windy balcony garden: marigolds. In 2012, my younger daughter harvested seeds from a marigold plant we bought at her school’s annual plant sale. Since then we’ve had these happy flowers as a staple in our garden.
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