FLINT JOURNAL, Flint, Michigan, Sunday, January 2, 2005

To get ahead on the job ... let go a little
By Todd Seibt, JOURNAL COLUMNIST

Are you a P.O.W. (Prisoner of Work)?

Anthony Zolezzi, author of "The Detachment Paradox," wants to set you free.

Now, there are a lot of skinny business buzzword books that bump across my desk here at The Journal, and some of them are actually good for something.

Like leveling a wobbly table.

Or being shredded and used for a hamster cage.

So I approached Zolezzi's bright yellow work with a healthy dollop of skepticism.

Having said that, I found a lot to like in this easy-to-read book - probably because his job and life philosophies intersect with mine.

Zolezzi's main point (and my primary operating belief) is simple: It's just a job. It's not your life.

So detach from it a little. Physically. Mentally.

Zolezzi talks about how to adjust your attitude, at work and at home, not just to reduce stress, but to do a better job. Really.

"I believe that once you start the process of detachment, you will not only be happier and more productive, but - and here's the paradox - you are likelier to earn more money from the very company whose psychological control you've managed to escape," Zolezzi writes.

Now, he's not saying to stroll in and give Mr. Control-Freak Boss a big wet sloppy kiss, and the raging idiot will turn into a nurturing, holistic supervisor. And he's not saying to hurl your cellphone, PDA and laptop into a river.

But he is saying to step back a few paces, relax, do your best, and smile once in a while. And don't let personalities or technology control your life.

When you get to that place, Zolezzi says, your work product will improve. Your life will improve. Your health will improve. Your human relations will improve. 

And your career will improve - even if it means eventually, politely, giving Mr. Control Freak two weeks' notice.

So you can apply for a real life.

"The Detachment Paradox, How an Objective Approach to Work Can Lead to a Rich and Rewarding Life." By Anthony Zolezzi, with Bill Bonvie. $15, ASM Books. Available at major bookstores, Amazon.com and DetachmentParadox.com.