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You’ve heard the term work smarter, not harder, but is there any truth to it? Many of us subscribe to the American ideal of hard work and grit. It’s something we pride ourselves on. While working hard is definitely important, I’ll show you today how working smarter is much more effective. I’ll do this using the data compiled by a 5-year study by Morten T. Hansen. We do a deep dive into his incredible study that is the foundation of his book Great at Work.

Morten T. Hansen is a Norwegian-American management professor at UC Berkley, formerly at Harvard Business school, where he conducted the research in this book. He received his PhD from Stanford Business School, where he was a Fullbright Scholar. This book is a compilation of his findings on working hard vs. working smart. It’s a powerful book that I personally think doesn’t have the recognition it deserves.

That’s why today on the podcast I’m reviewing his book. I’ll explain the reasons for working smarter and why it’s better than simply working harder. I’ll of course use the great information in this book, as well as the race to the South Pole, to show you the importance of working smarter.

As the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright said, “the most uncommon thing is common sense.” Sometimes we keep approaching a problem the same way because we assume that’s the way it’s done. Hansen invites us to question the way we’ve always done things and he’s got some really stellar research to back up his invitation. There’s value in slowing down and taking a look at a situation from a slightly different perspective. Applying this approach to your work can greatly increase the quality of your work, your job satisfaction and decrease burnout. This book can help you do just that!

I have also created a Quick Fire Guide to Great At Work that outlines his “7-Work Smart Practices” for your reference. It’s a great guide to get started on your path of working smarter and not harder! Click the button to download.

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