It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work

You need to read this book. Actually, scratch that, your manager needs to read this book, and his or her manager as well. All the way up the ladder. This is more than just a book, it's a manifesto for sanity and calmness at the office.

Nearly every (two-page) section is gold. It reads quick, it's well-written, there's no extra fluff or padding. Just straightforward advice for how to run your company and culture to maximize happiness at the office, written by people who have been successful. This book puts into succinct words exactly what I've been saying to various people for years, it's so validating to see the co-founders of a successful business reiterate what I keep telling people, as well as giving me new annoying things to tell people who won't listen.

This book is a must-read, I recommend it to absolutely everyone. Even if you don't think it's "crazy" where you work, it's probably crazier than it needs to be. It's going to be a sad day 15 years down the road or whenever that Basecamp goes out of business and this book will just seem like a graveyard of great ideas. Please read it now while it still seems like good advice so that your organization can add to the voice it represents.

I'd recommend this book to owners, founders and senior leaders - anyone who can influence or dictate workplace norms. I would not recommend this book to most employees, as they will probably want to quit their job and go work at Basecamp.

It sounds like Basecamp's founders (and this book's authors) have done a great job creating a calm culture through trial and error and mindful choices. They challenge commonly held assumptions and address many of my personal grievances of corporate life, such as 24/7 communication, never-ending chat, growth without question, etc. I also appreciate their writing style: it reads like a conversation (complete with swearing in the same places I'd sprinkle f-bombs) and concise. (Either they have more restraint than the average writer, or they have a hell of an editor.)

My two criticisms:

1. The tone should be a bit more humble. These guys run a successful multi-million business with 40 people, so they've definitely earned their stripes, but in the scheme of things, a 40 person company
has a different set of challenges than larger organizations. They have an obligatory nod to that in here once or twice, but the overall tone seems to be, "We've got it all figured out. Anyone doing something else is an idiot."

2. They trash on goals. Don't get me wrong - I tend to think a lot of goals are useless and demoralizing. There's an art to setting effective and motivating goals. And some goals are absolutely critical to help multiple people coordinate so they know they're a) moving in the right direction and b) making progress. I feel like they've thrown the baby out with the bathwater here because they've not yet discovered how to set effective goals.

Alas. Overall, it's a solid read and one I'll probably give as gifts to the founders/owners and other top-level executives in my life. And I'll eagerly await their next book - which probably does nothing to contribute to the humility I wish they possessed. :)

This book is written by the two founders of Basecamp. I’ve read their previous “Remote”, which I enjoyed. The first two indications that I would like this relatively short book were:

a. these sentences:

If it’s constantly crazy at work, we have two words for you: Fuck that. And two more: Enough already.

b. the fact that they’ve broken up the book into shorter paragraphs, which—considering the format—actually works

There are a lot of zen-y things in here, and it’s good:

The modern workplace is sick. Chaos should not be the natural state at work. Anxiety isn’t a prerequisite for progress. Sitting in meetings all day isn’t required for success. These are all perversions of work —side effects of broken models and follow-the-lemming-off-the-cliff worst practices. Step aside and let the suckers jump.

Well, yes. Do let them jump.

There are a lot of simple things detailed in this book, things that made me think “Yeah, this is sane. That, too. Oh, I’ve felt this many a time.”

However, the one, big gripe that I have with this book, is it’s a hagiography over Basecamp. Naturally, one would write a book about one’s own company, but the levels of self-love should have been hoisted in by a good editor.

Still, the little things in the book are plentiful and really lovely. Such as these:

Most of the day-to-day work inside a company’s walls is mundane. And that’s a beautiful thing. It’s work, it’s not news. We must all stop treating every little fucking thing that happens at work like it’s on a breaking-news ticker.

Take those trite stories about the CEO who only sleeps four hours each night, is the first in the parking lot, has three meetings before breakfast, and turns out the light after midnight. What a hero! Truly someone who lives and breathes the company before themselves! No, not a hero. If the only way you can inspire the troops is by a regimen of exhaustion, it’s time to look for some deeper substance. Because what trickles down is less likely to be admiration but dread and fear instead. A leader who sets an example of self-sacrifice can’t help but ask self-sacrifice of others.

When the boss says “My door is always open,” it’s a cop-out, not an invitation. One that puts the onus of speaking up entirely on the employees.

It’s pretty basic. If you work Monday to Friday, weekends should be off-limits for work. The same thing is true with weekday nights. If work can claim hours after 5:00 p.m., then life should be able to claim hours before 5:00 p.m. Balance, remember. Give and take.

Open-plan offices suck at providing an environment for calm, creative work done by professionals who need peace, quiet, privacy, and space to think and do their best.

While the act of letting someone go is unpleasant for all involved, it’s a moment in time. It passes. What remains after the dismissal are all the great folks who still work at the company. People who will be curious about what happened to their coworker. Why aren’t they here anymore? Who’s next? If I don’t know, could it be me? At many companies, when someone’s let go, all you get are vague euphemisms. “Hey, what happened to Bob?” “Oh, Bob? We don’t talk about Bob anymore. It was simply time for him to move on.” Fuck that. If you don’t clearly communicate to everyone else why someone was let go, the people who remain at the company will come up with their own story to explain it. Those stories will almost certainly be worse than the real reason.

The only way to get more done is to have less to do. Saying no is the only way to claw back time.

This book is written by the two founders of Basecamp. I’ve read their previous “Remote”, which I enjoyed. The first two indications that I would like this relatively short book were:

a. these sentences:

If it’s constantly crazy at work, we have two words for you: Fuck that. And two more: Enough already.

b. the fact that they’ve broken up the book into shorter paragraphs, which—considering the format—actually works

There are a lot of zen-y things in here, and it’s good:

The modern workplace is sick. Chaos should not be the natural state at work. Anxiety isn’t a prerequisite for progress. Sitting in meetings all day isn’t required for success. These are all perversions of work —side effects of broken models and follow-the-lemming-off-the-cliff worst practices. Step aside and let the suckers jump.

Well, yes. Do let them jump.

There are a lot of simple things detailed in this book, things that made me think “Yeah, this is sane. That, too. Oh, I’ve felt this many a time.”

However, the one, big gripe that I have with this book, is it’s a hagiography over Basecamp. Naturally, one would write a book about one’s own company, but the levels of self-love should have been hoisted in by a good editor.

Still, the little things in the book are plentiful and really lovely. Such as these:

Most of the day-to-day work inside a company’s walls is mundane. And that’s a beautiful thing. It’s work, it’s not news. We must all stop treating every little fucking thing that happens at work like it’s on a breaking-news ticker.

Take those trite stories about the CEO who only sleeps four hours each night, is the first in the parking lot, has three meetings before breakfast, and turns out the light after midnight. What a hero! Truly someone who lives and breathes the company before themselves! No, not a hero. If the only way you can inspire the troops is by a regimen of exhaustion, it’s time to look for some deeper substance. Because what trickles down is less likely to be admiration but dread and fear instead. A leader who sets an example of self-sacrifice can’t help but ask self-sacrifice of others.

When the boss says “My door is always open,” it’s a cop-out, not an invitation. One that puts the onus of speaking up entirely on the employees.

It’s pretty basic. If you work Monday to Friday, weekends should be off-limits for work. The same thing is true with weekday nights. If work can claim hours after 5:00 p.m., then life should be able to claim hours before 5:00 p.m. Balance, remember. Give and take.

Open-plan offices suck at providing an environment for calm, creative work done by professionals who need peace, quiet, privacy, and space to think and do their best.

While the act of letting someone go is unpleasant for all involved, it’s a moment in time. It passes. What remains after the dismissal are all the great folks who still work at the company. People who will be curious about what happened to their coworker. Why aren’t they here anymore? Who’s next? If I don’t know, could it be me? At many companies, when someone’s let go, all you get are vague euphemisms. “Hey, what happened to Bob?” “Oh, Bob? We don’t talk about Bob anymore. It was simply time for him to move on.” Fuck that. If you don’t clearly communicate to everyone else why someone was let go, the people who remain at the company will come up with their own story to explain it. Those stories will almost certainly be worse than the real reason.

The only way to get more done is to have less to do. Saying no is the only way to claw back time.