Gregory Warner on what happens when we work less

It's a mistake to think that ambition and productivity are perfectly aligned. —Gregory Warner

SUMMER SERIES: Navigating the New Office

The pandemic caused many people to reconsider what’s important to them. And where they could, they prioritized working less. Some shortened their work weeks to four days. Others introduced frequent days off to avoid burnout.

As this week's guest explains, working less is not an American phenomenon. On today’s show we have Gregory Warner, host of the NPR’s Rough Translation. The show looks at work culture in other countries, and I love this show. Each episode brings us fresh reporting from Gregory and other NPR reporters that sheds light on how we think about our jobs.

We’re going to talk about three episodes today. This first is about an American woman in France who could not believe that she was really supposed to take an hour for lunch every day. Then Gregory will tell us about a law in Portugal that makes it illegal for your boss to contact you after work. Finally, we’ll learn a little bit about slacker culture in China.

You can listen above, or find the episode here. Then please jump into the conversation in the comments.

🪐 Office Hours: Has your attitude shifted?

Every Wednesday at 3pm EST, Sarah Storm and I grab our coffee and go live with Hello Monday listeners. It's our coffee break, literally. It's a chance for an informal conversation with you. This week, we'll chat about the third episode of our series. So come join us to share how your own attitude about work has shifted in the past couple of years. You can find a link to join us here, or click on the image below.

And in cast you missed the earlier episodes in the series, I'm including them below. Consider this a quick primer on work trends in the summer of 2022:

👉🏻 Episode One: Carole Robin on relationships

Managing interpersonal relationships is not something most business schools focus on, but managing relationships well—especially when there is conflict—will be critical to your success. So we're thrilled to introduce you to Carole Robin. She is the co-author along with David Bradford Ph.D., of Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends and Colleagues. The book emerged from a class they taught at Stanford Business School. Students affectionately called it "The Touchy Feely Class." You can listen to this episode below, or find it right here.

👉🏻 Episode Two: Katy Milkman on how to change

This episode's guest is Katy Milkman. Katy’s a behavioral scientist at Wharton. Last year she published the book How to Change, the science of getting from where you are to where you want to be. Katy explains how knowing yourself really well is the best way to succeed at it. This episode is packed with practical take-aways. She explains how to use timing to your advantage. She gets into how to pair things you resist with things you love. And lots more. You can find the episode below, or listen to it right here.