Room for everyone in the working community
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Christian Borrisholt Steen, senior consultant at Krifa’s Videncenter for God Arbejdslyst (The Christian Trade Union’s Knowledge Centre for Success at Work) and former member of Det Etiske Råd (The Danish Ethics Committee)
With her book “The Joy of Working”, Tina M. -L. Campbell has written a highly relevant book, which is guaranteed to inspire, console and encourage those who at times, struggle to find enjoyment in their work and who, because they have had a bumpy ride through life, sometimes may doubt their own potential. The book is also for those leaders who want to give more people a fair chance of becoming part of the working community. I strongly recommend the book to all those who are interested in working together to create a working environment that gives joy and satisfaction.
Illustration: Alberte Freiheit
ISBN: 978-87-971246-6-6
More brief extracts can be found in full on my website: https://campbell.dk
A highly relevant topic in the context of social responsibility
Kurt Bennetsen, Head of Erhverv Norddanmark (Northern Jutland’s Chamber of Commerce).
The book embraces the elements of UN Sustainable Development Goal 8 – Decent Jobs and Economic Growth and throws the ball into the court of your company and you as a private person to take responsibility and concrete initiatives to promote greater job satisfaction. The book may also be a help to personel managers and company managers who are motivated to help their employees.
This book is a little goldmine of inspiration to self-help
Anita Schleef, Stress Coach and Proprietor of HeyStress.
Tina Campbell’s personal experiences and infectious energy inspire one to believe that it is possible to contribute to the working community even though, although you are able to take care of yourself, you have certain limitations, The book contains many worthwhile exercises and is easy to read. It also includes a section on stress with good advice to those suffering from stress.
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A book filled with humour and concrete advice to help even those who are under the greatest pressure
Dorte Boddum Kronborg, Leader of Huset Venture (Venture House) Northern Jutland.
I have been quietly nodding to myself and thinking: yes! This is exactly how to see a challenge and confront it. You can do (almost) anything you want – and you are proof of that and an inspiration to others. The book is humorous and easy to read. Even those who are pressed for time can manage to read it as it is clearly divided into different topics.
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An alternative and interesting self-help book about how to find joy in your work and your life 
Lene Romer Halby, Project Leader at a social enterprise.
Primarily, this book is a guide to how to find inner happiness, change one’s way of thinking and acting. The author has chosen to focus on job satisfaction, but the book is full of exercises and narratives which can be used in many situations where there is a need or desire for change. The author’s main message is that any change process starts with ourselves.
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An uplifting book
Helene. Woman, mother, office clerk on reduced hours.
The book is easy to read. It is an advantage that it can be used as a reference book. I think the subject that Tina writes about in her book is both interesting and important. The book really makes me want to work with myself. It encourages you to go out and find a job, but it is not only in the context of work that the book and the exercises are useful.
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A beautiful and significant book about finding the joy of working against all odds
Mads Lindholm, business psychologist, Ph.D.
Tina has written a rare and beautiful book about the joy of working. Many self-help books have been written on the subject, but this one is different. The book is based on the experiences of people who have met bumps in the road. In other words, it is based on the idea that you can thrive and find joy in working in spite of your lot in life and not because of it. ______________________
Job satisfaction and belief in oneself prolong your life
Jens Lund Madsen, Manager and proprietor of Kølemadsen Refrigeration in Hirtshals and Skagen.
“The Joy of Working” took me by storm. I was completely absorbed from the first page and in the future, I shall be able to use many of the points from the book in my working life. The book also gives a good insight into what it is like to be physically or mentally challenged. I would therefore recommend anyone who has no experience in these matters to read the book. It has really helped me and removed some of my prejudices.
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A useful little handbook – When you face challenges at work
Kirsten Daugaard, teacher on long-term sick leave.
Anyone who has fought their way through the system and is now ready to go back to work should read this book. Written in a language that is easy to understand, it doesn’t try to cram you with surplus information and challenges and that is exactly what you need at this point in your life, when you aren’t like everyone else.
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The book has broad appeal: everyone has something to offer
Lene Pedersen, disability consultant at a Job Centre.
“We cannot change the past, but we can reshape the future.” ”The Joy of Working” has broad appeal, addressing both those who are in work and those who are looking for a job, managers and those wanting to work in the voluntary sector . The most important message is that here is room for everyone and that everyone has something to offer.
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Gitte Cannon
This book is for everyone that struggles with fx purpose, lack of motivation and/or lack of confidence – some of the time or all of the time. It is well-researched and packed with concrete tools to make positive changes for everyone willing to give it a go. Most importantly, this book inspires to reader to WANT to give it a go, and the reason for that is Tina’s voice. Tina’s voice is genuine and personal yet professional, and her unbeatable spirit jumps from the pages and lifts your own..
Mariann Knudsen
The Joy of Working is in my opinion one of the most valuable books that has ever been published on the book market. Also, Tina M-L. Campbell is one of the most inspiring authors out there whose books I’ve read, and her own story gives everything that she writes SO MUCH credibility since she is a living proof that her methods are working perfectly.
Even though the main audience are people with physical and psychological challenges and disabilities in their lives, I think that regarding the way that Tina writes, this book would apply to everyone.
Also, I see the chapter, which is written for managers, as being VERY credible because it is my impression of Tina in this aspect that she very much practices what she speaks when it comes to being a leader.
Give this book as a Christmas gift to yourself, a family member, a colleague, and even your boss. It would be the gift of the YEAR – the gift that keeps on giving. I give the book 5 stars
Kind regards and merry Christmas from Mariann Knudsen
Kirsten Nielsen Welch, SEN teacher in Adult Education, Living with ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia
Tina Marie-Louise Campbell has written a personal and engaging book on how to achieve a joy of working.
Through personal accounts and several easy-to-follow exercises, this book guides the reader towards a sense of agency and a joy of working.
The exercises invite the reader to explore common thought patterns and decision making. They also help you to reassess these and move towards a new perspective on the role of work at a personal level.
The Joy of Working is aimed at both the employee and the employer; two central stakeholders in the process to rekindle the joy of working. The writer offers thought provoking insights into management and recruitment. There is also balanced advice on how to protect workers’ rights and enter into constructive dialogues aiming at achieving a win-win situation.
The author has taken a responsible approach.
The joy of Woking has a clearly defined remit; to encourage and equip individuals who are ready and able to return to work only. In spite of an evident enthusiasm for rehabilitation and the rewards of being in work, the author draws a clear distinction between the first group and people who are clinically very unwell and who need to access the support of mental health services.
This book makes references to the Danish work place and institutions. However, the international readers should be able to identify corresponding systems and institutions within their own countries and in this way, they can still benefit from the discussions and exercises here.
Personally, I benefited the most from exercises 1, 13 and 15. Exercise 1: Change your identity and the view of your self: This exercise helps you to uncover and challenge any negative views you may have about your self. It will help you to see the whole you and to not define yourself by your health issues only. Exercise 13 is, Maybe arrangements. This advice helps you to be honest and caring in your relationships. It helps you with your social life as it gives you a tool to communicate your sincerity and commitment. It also encourages mutual patience and accept. Exercise 15 is, Activity, resting and planning. I found this very helpful because I am relatively new to ongoing pain. It confirms to me that there are straightforward ways of managing pain in our everyday life. We should not be afraid of pain. It is better to come to terms with the pain than trying to hide from it.
It is hard to rank the many exercises in this book simply because, they all have their merits. People lead different lives and these exercises may become useful to us at different points. In addition to the exercises, I was very happy to see the section, Be pro-active. Make sure you read this section.
The Joy of Working covers a lot of ground. It addresses several areas of life with disability not only from the perspective of the disabled person but those around them, too. In this way, The Joy of Working can serve as a guide for the individual and as a tool for different stakeholders to find common ground and workable solutions.
Six stars because The Joy of Work draws on the author’s lived experience. It speaks to the reader with empathy and integrity. It teaches them to re-evaluate the role of work and their own life in the workplace. It helps them to develop agency.
This book benefits from a jargon free language thus making it accessible to a broad range of readers.
