Great at Work: How Top Performers Do Less, Work Better, and Achieve More
by Morten T. Hansen, PhD

Book description from Goodreads:
Why do some people perform better at work than others? This deceptively simple question continues to confound professionals in all sectors of the workforce. Now, after a unique, five-year study of more than 5,000 managers and employees, Morten Hansen reveals the answers in his “Seven Work Smarter Practices” that can be applied by anyone looking to maximize their time and performance.
Each of Hansen’s seven practices is highlighted by inspiring stories from individuals in his comprehensive study. You’ll meet a high school principal who engineered a dramatic turnaround of his failing high school; a rural Indian farmer determined to establish a better way of life for women in his village; and a sushi chef, whose simple preparation has led to his restaurant (tucked away under a Tokyo subway station underpass) being awarded the maximum of three Michelin stars. Hansen also explains how the way Alfred Hitchcock filmed Psycho and the 1911 race to become the first explorer to reach the South Pole both illustrate the use of his seven practices (even before they were identified).
Each chapter contains questions and key insights to allow you to assess your own performance and figure out your work strengths, as well as your weaknesses. Once you understand your individual style, there are mini-quizzes, questionnaires, and clear tips to assist you focus on a strategy to become a more productive worker. Extensive, accessible, and friendly, Great at Work will help you achieve more by working less, backed by unprecedented statistical analysis.

Why does the nominator think this would be a good book for the Campus Read?
From surveying students and observing them, one of their greatest struggles is with time management and focus. Making best use of the time we are given is something that everyone (myself included) grapples with. My hope with reading a book like this would that we would be able to better understand those struggles in ourselves and in our students and build a community of mentoring and accountability that ultimately leads to better student and university success. It would be very useful to be able to think critically about how we each approach our daily routines in this context and to discuss it with other Lakers.
Student retention and success are already critical and the importance and emphasis will likely only increase in the coming years. This book would be a departure from the types of topics of the past and while I wouldn’t recommend reading this type of book every campus read, spurring this type of internal reflection could have strong benefits. I haven’t done a thorough review of similar books so there might be other good options for the topic. A closely related one could be Great by Choice, by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen.
I appreciate the engagement with past campus reads and have tried to work in small discussions in classes where I have been able to. Station 11 was particularly interesting to have as context over the past year with the pandemic. Thank you for your work in helping organize these.

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