We live in a world where overwork is the new normal. The biographies of tech titans, hedge fund managers, and Instagram influencers tell us that in today's fast-moving world, success requires non-stop hustle. But this way of working, and the underlying belief that long hours are a sign of virtue and success, is actually counterproductive for individuals and organizations. Drawing on his book REST: WHY YOU GET MORE DONE WHEN YOU WORK LESS, I explain how a variety of research-- ranging from neuroscientific studies of creativity, to studies on sleep and recovery in elite athletes-- shows that balancing periods of intense work and "deliberate rest" helps us be more productive, more creative, and enjoy longer careers. I show a variety of high achievers— ranging from Nobel laureates to World War II-era generals to modern Olympians— have learned to practice deliberate rest, and how we can draw on their examples in our own lives.

In today’s 24/7 global economy, long hours seem like an inevitable and inescapable fact of life. But a growing number of ambitious, high-achieving companies around the world and in a variety of industries have discovered that it’s possible to get a competitive advantage by moving to 4-day workweeks. Shorter workweeks give people more time for rest and recovery; boost company recruitment and retention; improve work-life balance; and force companies to be more effective, productive and often profitable. Moving to a 4-day week can help us deal with looming problems of automation and aging workforces, and make economies more equitable, more family-friendly, and more sustainable. In this talk I go inside companies that are making this transition; explain how they find time to work less; and what lessons we can learn from them.

This workshop is designed for companies interested in deciding whether the shorter workweek could work for them, and for companies planning to implement a trial. Building on the method I outline in SHORTER and my interviews with leaders and employees at companies around the world that have successfully transitioned to a shorter workweek, I offer a one- or two-day workshop that helps companies prepare for a trial 4-day workweek or 6-hour workday. We first explore how companies are redesigning their workdays, and what benefits they get. We’ll then go through a series of exercises to game out worst-case scenarios; build a toolkit of new practices; articulate desired outcomes and KPIs; and create a roadmap for further planning, and a company-wide trial phase.