Rework is a collection of thoughts written by the founders of Basecamp. The theme that runs through out the book is re-thinking the what it means to be productive in this new technological age we belong to. They argue that the best employees are self-motivated and autonomous. Often the companies they work for create problems by forcing them to come to on office and work 9-5pm where they are easily distracted by non-essential tasks created from bosses or other employees. For example, if a manager sets up a 1 hour meeting and invites 20 people, he or she isn’t just spending 1 hour, they are collectively using 20 hours of the company’s time. Often in meetings, people can go off on tangents and talk about non-essential topics that other people don’t need to be there for. To be productive, why not schedule a 13 minute meeting, cover only the essential information, then have separate communication on issues relevant to specific people. They argue that the best thing is to minimize the number of interruptions to help individuals stay focused on their work. This could mean allowing your employees to work from home or letting them work the hours that fit best for them.
I think they bring up some good points and interesting ideas to consider. Good read.
Here is a TED Talk were Jason discusses some of the topics from the book: