Combine lots of paperwork with office politics, then add working with the public when they are not necessarily at their best, and it can seem almost impossible to find positive motivation working in law enforcement.

But a colleague of mine who has been doing it for years gave me a book recently that he said helped him see his work a differently. "Work Like a Spy" by J.C. Carleson was an easy read that helped us both add a little fun to our work in three ways.

1. Get out of your head ... a little

The last thing I want to do at the end of the day is read about things related to work. However, I also find it difficult to just switch to fiction. And while TV certainly helps me shut off my brain, I find I actually feel like I can get much more fully involved in a book than in most shows or movies.

But I don’t really have the time to figure out which book I want to read, so I end up reading a lot less than I probably should. "Work Like a Spy" checked all the boxes: it was referred to me so I did not have to find it; it was an easy read; and it was engaging.

I was able to dive right in and immediately make connections to what I was going through at work — but not in a stressful way so that I did not feel like I was taking a break. Just the act of getting back involved in a book was rewarding in and of itself.

2. Practical applications

While I am a private investigator, my colleague comes from a much more traditional law enforcement background. Yet we both agreed the book helped us look at our jobs a little differently from a hands-on aspect. And not only surveillance as you would expect from the author who is an ex-CIA agent but also how to approach office politics.

In the section on crisis management, Carleson talks about the importance of recognizing accomplishments, particularly in stressful times. Specifically, it is a lot easier to create loyalty and keep subordinates focused if they feel they are recognized for their efforts.

And often, recognition for efforts despite being in the midst of a crisis can balance the negative environment. It may even carry additional weight as you acknowledge something that could have understandably been overlooked as priorities on fire were taking center stage.

3. Back to basics

Sometimes we are too compartmentalized with our skill sets. The first chapters of this book were a great reminder to take a look at your tool kit and figure out if there are some skills in there that are either being wasted or used too narrowly.

For example, I have spent a lot of time honing my skills at interviewing witnesses. But I realized if I categorized what I had learned in this area, I could share it with my clients doing interviews for new hires to help them weed out the candidates that were being less than honest in their responses. Conversely, a colleague who is an attorney warned us both to be careful not to take it too far as he has often been accused by his spouse of cross-examining her.

Whether it is this book or another, try to get out of your head for a little while. Look at what you do a little differently, and you may be able to return to your police work with a little more enthusiasm that you had before.