Upcycle Your Job

Sharing my learnings from the book, Upcycle Your Job by Anna Meller

Upcycle Your Job by Anna Meller

Women make up the majority of university graduates. They enter the workplace in equal numbers with men. But many workplaces still operate with cultures developed over a century ago to reflect a predominantly male workforce and vastly differing social expectations. So all too often as women become parents they are forced to fix things in the only way they can – by downgrading their job expectations or dropping out of the corporate world.
Anna Meller believes it’s high time we #Upcycled our jobs and careers to fit today’s lifestyles and meet women’s changed expectations. Her PROPEL model offers ambitious working mothers new possibilities for progressing their corporate careers. 
In this book, Anna leads you through an evidence-based six-step process that supports you in finding the balance you need. Practical exercises enable you to craft a working arrangement that meets your employer’s expectations as well as your own aspirations, and to develop the key skills you need to maintain it.

• upcycle your job presents a six step approach to finding the perfect work life balance
• PROPEL model will empower you to establish a better work-life balance & help you create a professional career tailored to your personal life
• it’s up to you to manage your work-life balance. You’ll need clarity about what you want to achieve, commitment to your vision and courage to ask for what you need.
• the 1st step to upcycling your job is having a clear understanding of your work-life preferences. The ideal balance is struck when your personal growth is supported by both your work and your non work activities 
• the 2nd step us to investigate your role. Make sure your roles are serving you and do not play too many roles at once
• the 3rd step is to explore your options. Secure a flexible schedule by showing how it will benefit your employer 
• the 4th step is realizing that there are always other possibilities. Job crafting (make a list of what you do at work, separate out all the lil tasks that don’t contribute to your goals and ask whether they can be automated, delegated or dispensed altogether) can help you expand the flexibility of your current role.
• the 5th step is to develop essential skills (knowledge + skill + behavior + attitude = competence). To successfully upscale your work-life balance and flexibility, you need to up your competency
• the 6th & final step is leadership. Focusing on the positive (appreciative inquiry method) is a better way to lead & stimulate change