How to Do Less and Get More Done with Morton T. Hansen [Podcast]

• Shawn Murphy
• July 6, 2018
• do less, get more done, Morton T. Hansen

In this episode of Work That Matters by WorqIQ, Morton T. Hansen joins us to talk about how we can do less, and still get more done at work.

Would you believe me if I told you that there is a compelling argument to be made that you should do less to get more done?

Certainly, it’s enticing for all of us who work over 50+ hours a week. There is hope for us workaholics. It comes at a time when the average American works the equivalent of 6 days, sleeps less than 7 hours per night, and fails to take enough vacation time. This mixture of long work days and not enough down time is stressing us out. It’s not healthy. And it’s not going to help you or your team achieve a sustainable track record of success.

The challenge with this model of how we work? Learning what to do about it.

Fortunately, there is new research revealing some better ways to be “great at work.”

Morten T. Hansen, who is no stranger to the rigors of research, co-wrote with Jim Collins, Great by Choice. Collins is well known for his research-based approach to writing books. Hansen applies the same rigor in his latest book, Great at Work: How Top Performers Do Less, Work Better, and Achieve More.

In today’s episode of Work That Matters by WorqIQ, we talk with Hansen about some compelling conclusions linked to high performance. I’ll recap some of those insights in a moment. For the time being, take a look at what Hansen calls seven work-smart practices. I highlight below a few of my favorites:

1. Do Less, Then Obsess: Before you add on to your long list of to-dos, review your top priorities. As Hansen writes, “The more items we attend to, the less time we can allot to each, and the less well we will perform any one of them.”
2. Redesign Work: Implement new methods that maximize the “value of your work.” Another way to say this is don’t get caught up in the quantity of activities. Instead, focus on the highest value activities. Hansen provides some great insights on where to focus your redesign efforts.
3. P-Squared (Match Passion and Purpose): Purpose is a hot topic right now. It’s for good reason. Clarity of purpose and a passion that’s artfully directed to solve problems is linked to high performance. From Hansen’s 5,000 people study, those with both a strong sense of purpose and passion outperformed those without such clarity by 18 percent. And they worked fewer hours, too.

The other four smart practices Hansen includes in his book include: Learning Loop, Forceful Champion, Fight and Unite, and Disciplined Collaboration.

Listen in, and learn more about working less in order to get more done!

About This Week’s Episode

We ask Morten T. Hansen about how top performers actually do less and obsess, and then get more done. It’s appealing and also doable. Are you, though, willing to challenge the familiar ways of doing things? It’s key to doing less.

We also explore with Hansen how “do less” bosses are the best models for transformational leadership. Hansen also indulges our unending curiosity about outmoded beliefs managers are seemingly unwilling to change.

Regardless of your place in the hierarchy, Hansen’s work contains invaluable insights to help you find better integration of work with your personal life. After all, having a personal life is priceless to those who are high performers.

Important Links

Be sure to check out these links mentioned in today’s podcast episode:

Check out Morten’s website: MortenHansen.com

Take the “Are You a Top Performer at Work” quiz.