Product Description

Written in parable form, the work relates the story of Harold, an HR Director, who has fallen victim to the dreaded clutches of info-glut and finds himself paralyzed and unable to move forward because of the deluge of electronic data and e-mail he must fight daily. In a Kafka-esque twist, after such repetitive but fruitless exertion, he actually turns into a hamster running on a hamster wheel, though he’s too busy to even notice. Harold meets the info-coach who recognizes his ailment and teaches him a few effective lessons about managing e-mail – key to which is developing higher quality while getting rid of unwanted excess. The infocoach introduces the COTA system to Harold, which shows him an innovative way of storing all e-mail and electronic media into four main categories: 1. Clients 2. Output 3. Teams 4. Administrative Using this system Harold is able to control his e-mail communications and documents again, and turns back from a hamster into a human being. There is also the story of the groundbreaking Capital One study based on feedback and input from 2,000 Capital One employees who attended a workshop by the authors. A 60-day post-training survey found e-mail quality to have improved by 52% while e-mail volume decreased by 21%. Capital One estimates that the participants saved an astounding 13 days per year because of this. All in all, the book provides a large amount of fun, but poignant information that can be used to reorganize email procedure into an efficient, and effective endeavor.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37050 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 128 pages

About the Author
MIKE SONG is the CEO of Cohesive Knowledge Solutions (CKS). He is also the co-developer of the highly regarded COTA system. He consults at several major companies such as Clear Channel, Dish Network, Novartis, and HP and leads the CKS team. VICKI HALSEY is the VP of Applied Learning at the Ken Blanchard Companies. She speaks, consults, and trains for the Blanchard companies. She is regarded as one of the pioneers of leadership research in information management industries and has consulted with the likes of Nike, Oracle, GAP, KPMG, and Wells Fargo, to name a few. TIM BURRESS is the president of Cohesive Knowledge Solutions (CKS). Before co-founding CKS in 2003 he was the Director of Learning and Development at Pfizer (Pfizer’s training program was Training Magazine’s #1 choice of the top 100 training facilities in the world in 2003). Tim’s clients include Capital One, Pfizer, Progressive, and Centex.

Customer Reviews

Let the Hamster lead the Revolution
This short, enjoyable book has literally transformed the way I work with email. Instead of being beleaguered and viewing email as an instrument of slow torture, I now feel on top of my email workload and the benefits have also been felt by members of my team at work. A must read/must have for anyone serious about reclaiming their work life balance.The Hamster Revolution: How to Manage Your Email Before it Manages You

A 90-minute read that will save you hours of time in your inbox
Taking a break from e-mail is tough because it pours in constantly. Many people tie themselves to their inboxes by carrying devices that keep them connected 24/7. They allow e-mail to interrupt their evening and weekend activities, upsetting family members and creating a lifestyle without any real breaks from work. Mike Song, Vicki Halsey and Tim Burress show you how to change your e-mail response and filing habits to recapture lost time and regain control of your life. The story of Harold, a human resources director, helps them make their points. Reading this book takes roughly 90 minutes, but it will have a long-term impact on your time management. We recommend it to businesses and teams who feel eternally bombarded with e-mail and want to fight information overload.

Life Changing Stuff
Everyone who relies on email as part of their job should read this book - it really will change the way you use email. So many simple things that really do work. It is an easy and amusing read too.