More from the Author

• Book | 2012

  Sleeping with Your Smartphone: How to Break the 24-7 Habit and Change the Way you Work

  Leslie A. Perlow

  Does it have to be this way? Can't resist checking your smartphone or mobile device? Sure, all this connectivity keeps you in touch with your team and the office—but at what cost? In "Sleeping with Your Smartphone," Leslie Perlow reveals how you can disconnect and become more productive in the process. In fact, she shows that you can devote more time to your personal life and accomplish more at work. The good news is that this doesn't require a grand organizational makeover or buy-in from the CEO. All it takes is collaboration between you and your team—working together and making small, doable changes. What started as an experiment with a six-person team at The Boston Consulting Group—one of the world's elite management consulting firms—triggered a global initiative that eventually spanned more than 900 BCG teams in 30 countries across five continents. These teams confronted their nonstop workweeks and changed the way they worked, becoming more efficient and effective. The result? Employees were more satisfied with their work-life balance and with their work in general. And the firm was better able to recruit and retain employees. Clients also benefited—often in unexpected ways. In this engaging book, Perlow takes you inside BCG to witness the challenges and benefits of disconnecting. She provides a step-by-step guide to introducing change on your team—by establishing a collective goal, encouraging open dialogue, ensuring leadership support—and then spreading change to the rest of your firm. If you and your colleagues are grappling with the "always on" problem, it's time to disconnect—and start reading.

  Keywords: Time Management; Online Technology; Groups and Teams; Performance Productivity; Globalized Firms and Management; Service Industry;

  Citation:

  Perlow, Leslie A. Sleeping with Your Smartphone: How to Break the 24-7 Habit and Change the Way you Work. Harvard Business Review Press, 2012.

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• Supplement | HBS Case Collection | 2010 (Revised from original 2010 version)

  George Martin at The Boston Consulting Group (C)

  Leslie A. Perlow and Kerry Herman

  George Martin, managing partner at The Boston Consulting Group, is worried as some of his best performers have recently pulled him aside to discuss the challenges they face managing the demands of their work lives with their desire for more predictable time with their families. BCG had instituted multiple initiatives to help its consulting staff better achieve work-life balance, yet some of Martin's top consultants still struggled. The case considers the challenges professional service firm employees face in terms of work-life issues.

  Keywords: Work-Life Balance; Problems and Challenges; Employees;

  Citation:

  Perlow, Leslie A., and Kerry Herman. "George Martin at The Boston Consulting Group (C)." Harvard Business School Supplement 410-118, May 2010. (Revised from original April 2010 version.)

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• Case | HBS Case Collection | 2010

  George Martin at The Boston Consulting Group (A)

  Leslie A. Perlow and Kerry Herman

  George Martin, managing partner at The Boston Consulting Group, is worried as some of his best performers have recently pulled him aside to discuss the challenges they face managing the demands of their work lives with their desire for more predictable time with their families. BCG had instituted multiple initiatives to help its consulting staff better achieve work-life balance, yet some of Martin's top consultants still struggled. The case considers the challenges professional service firm employees face in terms of work-life issues.

  Keywords: Problems and Challenges; Work-Life Balance; Management Teams; Interpersonal Communication; Jobs and Positions; Employees; Consulting Industry; Boston;

  Citation:

  Perlow, Leslie A., and Kerry Herman. "George Martin at The Boston Consulting Group (A)." Harvard Business School Case 410-112, April 2010.

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