Episode 57: Unwork!

A Brilliant Gamble

I’m so excited about today’s podcast. The ideas I talk about today have been brewing for weeks! I would go so far as to say that I’ve never met anyone working in business or the public sector who feels fully integrated in their work. By which I mean, there’s always quite a lot that they are tolerating about the way they work and the sacrifices they’re making. Often they have come to terms with those sacrifices in some way seeing it as a price they have to pay as part of having a job, especially if it’s a job they feel is important. But is it necessary? More importantly, are the things we tolerate about work and the way we work actually inhibiting our ability to make a difference? Could we construct a way to work that doesn’t require making such sacrifices? And, does there come a time in life where you start saying “I don’t want to make those sacrifices anymore?” In today’s show I explain the term “Unwork” - an term I've coined to describe work where there is little if any distinction between work and non-work in our lives. There’s no reason why you need to channel a special “work-you” and then switch that off as you switch on the “real you” in the rest of your life. In fact, when you stop making the distinction you are able to bring more of yourself to every aspect of life and therefore be of MORE value in your professional contribution than you are able to be today. I also run through the 5 criteria that make up my “Unwork Pentagram” - a down and dirty tool you can use to check-in with how integrated your life, your self and your work are. It should help you spot which areas might benefit from your attention. You probably won’t be surprised if you’ve been feeling out of sync with your work for a while that something is missing. And this tool will help you, in a blunt way, work out why that might be. In future shows we’ll look in more depth at the model and dive in to the 5 criteria, plus I will talk more about unwork, my unwork journey and the stages you’ll go through as you start questioning everything we’ve taken for granted about work in the Industrial Age. I can’t wait!! Sign up to the newsletter to get more inspiration including a 5 part series busting the myths of leadership. You can also read my articles on Medium. And follow Punks in Suits on Instagram (@punksinsuits), our Facebook page and twitter (@blairepalmer). I’ve added a Patreon button to the PodOmatic podcast page too so if you want to support this podcast financially you now can. Thank you so much for your support so far and here’s to an exciting 2018!!