There’s no relationship between time spent and value created

When our business is struggling, we’re tempted to throw more hours at the problem to fix it.

There’s just something hardwired into the fabric of our capitalistic, draconian work culture that says, more always equals better. Working harder is the remedy for all that ails the enterprise.

But the reality is, there’s no relationship between time spent and value created.

Luxembourg is officially the most productive country on the planet. But did you know that they give their employees over thirty days of paid holiday per year, on top of national holidays?

That’s more than double what our country offers.

Oh, and the people of that country work two hundred hours less per year than we do. That’s five extra weeks right there.

Apparently, how we work is more important than how much we work.

It reminds me of the global financial crisis of the late two thousands. My business took hit just like everyone else’s. Selling books was less frequent and less profitable in the dying, digitized, oversaturated publishing industry. And giving speeches wasn’t the cash cow it used to be, now that corporate budgets were slashed during the recession.

In response to this hardship, my workaholic brain had got the following bright idea.

Scott, you need to start waking up at four in the morning, instead of five. Get in gear, soldier. That extra hour before the sun comes up will give you an edge over the competition, solve all your problems and get your business back on track. Let’s go.

Fast forward to the first thirty days into my new routine. My business had completely transformed. New client opportunities flooded my inbox. Media appearances filled my schedule. Two major publishers queried me for book deals. Money was pouring in from diverse revenue streams. And my personal and professional relationships deepened significantly.

Actually none of that happened. My business was exactly the same. That extra hour made no material contribution to my bottom line.

In fact, my stress level skyrocketed. Chest pains became a frequent occurrence. I was tired all the time. I had to double my antidepressant medication to cope with the anxiety. And one night on the way home from giving a speech, I started sobbing uncontrollably and nearly crashed into the median along the highway.

This is what can happen when we believe value created is a function of time spent. Because even if that strategy does work in the short run, it’s not a sustainable solution. It’s a reactionary maneuver that runs up operational costs, not to mention, takes a toll mentally, physically and emotionally.

Throwing more hours at the wrong kind of work isn’t how you grow anything.

Finding low effort, high reward activities, that is. That’s how you get maximum leverage out of your time and talent without burning out.

Koch has researched and written on this topic extensively. The legendary consultant recommends that workers search for tasks that are high impact, which can make a real difference, but can also be done quickly. If they focus on the few things they have mastered, and about which they care deeply, it will enable them to achieve exceptional results.

Can you imagine if you were less focused on the hours you worked, and more focused on the value you created? Might that transform your business?

Look, if you want to wake up at dawn to jumpstart your day, that’s terrific. Just make sure you invest that quiet time in meaningful activities that give you more leverage, not more bags under your eyes.

Is how you work more important than how much you work?