Designing Your Work Life

Bill Burnett, Dave Evans

How to Thrive and Change and Find Happiness at Work

Introduction

What’s in it for me? Use design principles to turn the job you have into the job you want.

“Do what you love” must be one of the most clichéd pieces of career advice going. But unless you have the kind of well-funded, obligation-free lifestyle that’ll let you run off to Costa Rica to become a scuba instructor, it’s also pretty useless. For most of us, making a dramatic life change so that we can chase our dreams simply isn’t possible. 

But what if you don’t need to change roles to find your dream job? What if you can redesign your current role so that it fits with your passions and interests? In these blinks, you’ll learn how applying the principles of good design will make your career more meaningful and professionally fulfilling. It might even make you more money. 

In these blinks, you’ll learn

• why you don’t need to choose between money and meaning; 

• which common problem-solving mistakes you’re making; and

• how to wield power in your job – even without a promotion.

Key idea 1

Wherever you are in your career is good enough – for now.

Do you remember those childhood car trips spent chorusing “Are we there yet?” from the back seat? As an adult, you probably don’t do that anymore – at least, not in the car. But when it comes to your career, it’s possible you’re still caught up in an “Are we there yet?” mindset.

That’s because, when you're not achieving your ambitions, it’s easy to feel unhappy in your work life. What’s more, focusing on where you’re headed is a big distraction because it stops you from making meaningful changes to the job you currently have.

The key message is: Wherever you are in your career is good enough – for now.

Modern society has conditioned us to want more of everything, whether that’s more money or more status. Unfortunately, the thing with more is, you can never get enough of it. 

For psychologists, it fits with something they call the hedonic treadmill. That’s when the pleasure of getting what you want leads you to repeat the same behavior over and over again. The chemical high in your brain fades, but you want more, so round you go. You’re stuck on a treadmill. 

Burnett and Evans call the type of person struggling on this treadmill a “non-life designer.” That’s someone who wants more from her career: a bigger office, a better salary, or more authority, but she doesn’t examine why she wants these things. To get out of this relentless cycle, the authors suggest you should become a “life-designer.” That’s someone who lives with intention and knows that wherever she is right now is good enough. 

This ability to accept that your job is “good enough for now” uses one of the most effective tools in the designer’s toolkit: the reframe. But note that this isn’t about relabelling your situation. You can’t just grit your teeth and tell yourself your job is fine. To reframe your mindset, you must restructure your point of view. That means noticing what’s good about your current role by focusing on what works well and the tasks you enjoy. If this doesn’t come naturally, try keeping a journal. 

By reframing your perspective, you’ll be able to see your situation more clearly. You may spot ways to redesign your job so that it works better for you. Or you may discover something that’s lacking in your work life. And once you know that, you can start to address the gap.

Key idea 2

Learn to design your work, and you can have money and meaning.

It’s time to make some choices. Are you going to pay cash or credit? Will you have that with, or without, cheese? Do you want to take the freeway or the scenic route? Life is full of choices. And in your working life, there’s one big choice to be made: do you want money or meaning?

But here’s the secret: you don’t have to pick. That so-called choice is a false dichotomy. 

Consider a mixer board that a producer uses in a recording studio. It has dials that control all the variables – like the bass, vocals, and backing track – that go into making a hit song. 

But it’s not the board making the music; it’s the producer. He’s what’s most important, because – just like you and your career – he controls the variables. 

The key message is: Learn to design your work, and you can have money and meaning.

Imagine your career as a mixer board with three dials. The first is labeled “money.” The second is “impact,” which describes your social contribution, and the third is “expression,” which refers to your creativity.

Just like every hit song has a specific mix, every job has its own ratio of these three things: money, impact, and expression. In some high-paying jobs, the money dial is turned right up, while the others are almost non-existent. The same goes for jobs that offer a high level of impact or creativity.

The key is finding the mix that’s right for you. Some people intuitively know what their mix should be. For the rest of us, it’s a case of trial and error. 

Think about your current job and where each dial sits on your mixer board. Are you satisfied? Do you perhaps want more of one thing? Or maybe you could manage with less of another?

If it’s not quite right, take steps to adjust your mix. But think small. You don’t need to turn the “expression” dial to 11 and quit your job to take up oil painting. First, why not try flexing your artistic side at the office. Maybe you could design your company’s new website or revamp their logo. If you’re willing to turn down the “money” dial, you could even go part-time, and start painting on your off-days.

With careful adjustment, you can bring all three dials together in perfect harmony.

Key idea 3

Problem-finding is just as important as problem-solving.

Meet Bernadette. Like 85 percent of workers around the world, she’s unhappy in her job. And, even though she can see the wisdom in redesigning her work life, she’s pretty sure her job can’t be fixed. She’s got problems that design principles alone can’t solve. 

The thing is, Bernadette feels underappreciated by her boss because her boss is a bit of a jerk. And so Bernadette is convinced that the only way to solve her problem is by leaving it behind and finding a new workplace with a better boss. 

But Bernadette is trying to solve the wrong problem.

The key message is: Problem-finding is just as important as problem-solving.

Good design isn’t just about problem-solving. It’s about knowing which problems to go after and why. The reason Bernadette’s work problem seems insurmountable is that she hasn’t identified the right thing to fix. 

Designers know that not all problems are bad. And the best kind are what are called minimum actionable problems. That’s when you break down a big, scary issue into the bits that can be solved – and solved fast!

For Bernadette to turn her big problem into a minimum actionable problem, she needs to reframe it. The first step is to strip out any biases and value judgments. Bernadette might think her boss is a jerk, but her subjective opinion has no concrete bearing on the issue. And once that’s taken out, what she’s left with is the feeling that she’s unappreciated. What underpins this feeling? Well, her boss never tells her that she’s done a good job. Or a bad job, for that matter.

Now Bernadette’s whittled down her big problem and reframed it as an actionable one: her boss is bad at feedback.

Ideally, Bernadette’s boss would magically change into someone who gives productive, generous feedback. But that’s outside of her control, so instead, it’s time for Bernadette to come up with some solutions, using the key phrase: “How might I …?” 

For example, “How might I find other sources of feedback in the organization?” Bernadette needs outside input to feel appreciated, but that doesn’t have to come from her boss, it could come from other teams or clients. Maybe she’ll establish a weekly review meeting with her project team. She might just find there are plenty of channels to get feedback if only she would tap into them. Problem solved!

Key idea 4

Motivation in life is intrinsic, not extrinsic.

Like Bernadette, you might feel unhappy at work, and there could be many reasons why. Maybe your boss micromanages your every move, maybe your workload is relentlessly dull and repetitive, or maybe it’s that coworker who likes to heat up tuna in the microwave.

But, if you look a little deeper, there’s probably a bigger reason: and that’s motivation.

Just as a dynamic corporate job can be boring with a demotivated mindset, a monotonous job can be enjoyable with a positive one. 

The key message is: Motivation in life is intrinsic, not extrinsic.

Finding motivation from within yourself is a win-win, no matter how unhappy you are at work. It might be all you need to discover new challenges and rewards in your current position. Or, it might get you excited to look for new opportunities. 

Either way, to fire up your intrinsic motivation, you need to work on your career arc. That’s A-R-C – Autonomy, Relatedness, and Competence.

Autonomy is the freedom to design your own life, and it’s a fundamental psychological need. Whatever your job, you’ll want the freedom to control what you do and when and how you do it. 

If you’re looking to grow autonomy in a job where your tasks are predetermined, then it’s simple: you overdeliver. Don’t just use the accounting system. Improve the accounting system. Don’t just manage clients. Go out and find new ones. Your basic set of tasks might be out of your control, but the way you extend and build on them is down to you.

Often, the most fulfilling work experiences aren’t the best-paid ones – that’s why you hear about hedge-fund managers who say their favorite job was as a camp counselor. The reason is relatedness – in other words, the connections you make. Being separated in cubicles is not as energizing as working together. That’s why the authors encourage you to seek out opportunities to connect in the workplace.

The last skill to reignite your motivation at work is competence. We all get a kick out of doing something well, whether that’s mowing the lawn or drawing up a contract. If you think about the parts of your job you most enjoy, it’s probably because you’re good at them. The trick is to reframe the elements you dislike so that you see them as opportunities to boost your competence.

Take care of these three things – your autonomy, relatedness, and competence – and your motivation will take care of itself!

Key idea 5

Identify your influence, then leverage it!

Do you ever daydream about stepping into your boss’s shoes? “If I were in charge,” you think, “things would be different around here.” “If it were up to me, our workflows would have a complete overhaul.” “If I were calling the shots, there’s no way we’d have taken on that stinker of a project.”

That’s a lot of ifs. If you were in power, of course, you’d create real, positive change. But the thing is, you’re not the CEO of your company, and you can’t do these things.

But all is not lost. If you simply reframe your thoughts, you might find that you have a lot more influence in the workplace than you think.

The key message here is: Identify your influence, then leverage it!

There are two kinds of power at play in the workplace. There’s authority, and there’s influence. Authority is built into the system – just look at the CEO, who has authority over the manager, and the manager who has authority over the rest of the team. But influence is different.

Anyone can have influence. It’s something you cultivate when the work you do for your company is recognized and valued by those in charge. It’s when your opinion holds weight, and your input is respected. Influence cuts across hierarchy.

To become a key influencer at work, you first need to add value, so offer advice, make some suggestions, or take on extra tasks. Recognition is also important. To be seen as an influencer, you need to get the credit for what you do. That means taking ownership of your work – even the mistakes. 

When you build up a good track record of adding value and being recognized for it, you’ll start to be seen as an influencer. Pretty soon, authority figures will seek out your advice and ask for your input. 

What’s more, once you start to find your own influence, you’ll see that authority doesn’t always mean power. The big boss might not call the shots on the issues that affect you, and you’ll start to understand who does have the power to directly improve your work experience.

Gaining in influence might not catapult you into a position of authority, though it usually doesn’t hurt. What it will do is give you the leverage you need to design your work life better.

Key idea 6

Don’t quit your job until you’ve tried to redesign it.

Great designs don’t happen overnight. Thomas Edison didn’t come up with the lightbulb over a long weekend. The iPod wasn’t invented during a lunch break.

Most great designs are the result of many painstaking iterations. They’re the result of a design cycle. A designer creates a concept, then a prototype, she trials it, and seeks feedback. And that’s repeated and repeated until her design functions flawlessly. 

The same is true for your career. 

The key message is: Don’t quit your job until you’ve tried to redesign it.

Designing your job requires the same iterative approach as any good design. Of course, if you’re stuck at a toxic workplace, then don’t redesign – move on. But if you’re simply disillusioned with the 9-5, try some of these workplace design iterations.

First, reframe. As we’ve learned in previous blinks, this means not focusing on negatives and instead, starting to focus on opportunities. If you hate your boss, don’t pretend you like her. Focus on the positive aspects of your job. Next, reenlist. That means, if you love collaboration, then check back in as a team-player, get energized by working in a group, and start seeing the team’s successes as your own.

Reframing and re-enlisting are quick fixes, but they pave the way for something more, a phase the authors call a remodel – which is a more extensive change to your role. Now that you’ve identified what you enjoy, carve out space for it in your job – or shift to a new one. If you work for a company of over 100 people, chances are you won’t even need to quit. That job may already exist in your firm. So, apply for a more senior role or make a sideways move that lets your talent shine. For example, if you’ve honed your interpersonal skills in customer service, why not take them into sales.

If you want a really big change, however, it’s time to relaunch. In other words, propel yourself into a new field. Say you work in customer service, but you’ve noticed it’s the coders who get the juicy assignments and big paychecks. Ask to see if on-the-job upskilling is a possibility and, if not, enroll in a coding course outside of work. When your skills are up to scratch, relaunch!

So there you have it. Reframe, reenlist, then remodel, or relaunch – now rinse and repeat until you love your job.

Key idea 7

Quitting well can set you up for success later on.

Let’s say you’ve redesigned your way toward a new career opportunity. Now it’s time to think about the best way to leave your current position. You should probably start by telling your boss exactly what you think of him and his fashion choices. Don’t forget to photocopy your posterior for posterity. Or, go the extra mile and toss your chair through the window.

OK, don’t do that. But don’t just hand in a bland resignation letter, then go through the motions until you’ve worked out your notice period, either.

The key message is: Quitting well can set you up for success later on.

Have you heard the phrase “work smarter”? Well, you need to quit smarter, too. 

First of all, make quitting a conscious choice. Unless you’re in a toxic workplace, it should rarely be your first choice. Quitting should be a step you take after an iterative process of reframing and redesigning your current job, not a rash decision. 

Once you’ve made up your mind, however, you need to follow the rule by which all campers abide: “Leave the campsite better than you found it.” That means tie up loose ends, update everyone on your projects, and don’t burn bridges. If someone’s stepping into your old role, prime them for success by onboarding them in person or with a clear written guide. If you can avoid leaving any outstanding issues, your coworkers will remember you long after you’ve left the building. And that’s important because, while you may no longer be colleagues, these people will always be part of your professional network.

Speaking of networks, now is the time to engage yours. Designers love to collaborate and find fresh perspectives, and as a life-designer, you should collaborate, too. Whether you’re looking for a new job or you’ve already got one, let people know. You may find they come to you with new connections and opportunities.

Finally, nail down the narrative. Long after you’ve left, you’ll be telling the story of how and why you quit. It’s a crucial part of your career path, so make sure you frame it in a productive way. Don’t say, “I left because I couldn’t stand my boss,” even if that’s true. It’s much better to reframe it and say, “I uncovered a new career passion” or, “I was ready to take on a new challenge.”

Key idea 8

Designing your work life applies to self-employment, too.

Nowadays, a growing number of professionals are choosing to be self-employed. Things like flexibility, creative control, and the ability to work in your pajamas mean the freelance life has many perks. But, taking those first steps and making the leap to self-employment can feel intimidating. 

And even if you do strike out on your own, just because you’ve left an office doesn’t mean you’ve left all your workplace problems behind. 

Don’t despair. Whether you’re starting out or feeling stuck, it is possible to design yourself into a fulfilling freelance career. 

The key message here is: Designing your work life applies to self-employment, too.

Let’s say you’re dreaming of being your own boss while you're stuck in your office cubicle. What’s stopping you from taking the plunge? Maybe you don’t know if you’d be a good fit for freelance life. If that’s the case, it’s time to behave like any good designer, create a prototype, and set up a low-risk version of your dream freelance career. Spend your free time pursuing a side hustle, whether that’s consulting or hand-knitting hats. If your prototype works well, then you have the green light to launch for real.

But what if freelancing isn’t your dream? What if circumstances or a shifting economy mean you’re being forced into a work style you don’t want? Don’t tell yourself that freelancing is your only option. Reframe your mindset and remind yourself that you’re getting to design a career around your core values – whether that’s money, flexibility, or fulfillment. More so than in any other career, your work satisfaction as a freelancer is completely in your hands.

Speaking of work satisfaction, it’s time to focus on the well-being and success of your staff. That’s you! To be your own best boss, ask yourself what you’re good at and how that links to what your clients need. Push hard into those strengths, and you’ll soon grow your reputation.

And reward yourself for work well done. Once you have enough money coming in and are getting good feedback, look at your rates, and revise them upward. If you’re doing a good job, you should be pulling in a good wage.

Finally, streamline your workflow. As your work grows, outsource the tasks you don’t like or that take up too much time. If you can do that, you’ll have freed yourself up to do your best work yet.

Final summary

You don’t need to change jobs to create a dramatic change in your work life. Applying the principles of good design to your career will allow you to reframe and reshape the job you have into the job you want.

Actionable advice

Strategize your solutions. Got an actionable problem? Designers know a nifty trick to find the best solution. Brainstorm a list of all the best possible answers you can think of, then eliminate the B-T-Os or Best Theoretical Options. You want to be left with only the B-D-Os or Best Doable Options. If the solution only works hypothetically, it’s not a solution!

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