Work Clean

Outline

Work Clean (2016) applies the secret of professional kitchens, mise-en-place, to everyday work. Dan Charnas explains how great chefs plan ahead, arrange their spaces and tools, clean as they go, and finish what they start, and shows how anyone can use the same discipline to manage time, reduce stress, and get more done. The book turns kitchen wisdom into a practical system for organised, focused work.

• Mise-en-place, the professional kitchen's habit of having everything prepared and in its place, can be applied to ordinary work.
• Great chefs plan ahead before they start, and that advance planning is a large part of how they perform under pressure.
• Arranging your space and tools deliberately helps you stay organised and focused while you work.
• Cleaning as you go, instead of leaving a mess for later, keeps work under control and lowers stress.
• Finishing what you start is part of the same discipline, and it helps you manage time and get more done.

Dan Charnas is an American writer, journalist, and professor at New York University. He has worked in the music industry and written about business, culture, and creativity. His books include The Big Payback, a history of the business of hip-hop, Work Clean, and Dilla Time.