Aug 18, 2026 · 39 min · 11 segments
In this episode, Daniel Lamadrid interviews Joe O'Connor, a globally recognized researcher, consultant, and advocate for work time reduction. Originally…
Daniel LamadridHostThe idea that we're going to race against the machine on efficiency is a complete dead end.
So as I see it, productivity is a two-dimensional force that involves efficiency and effectiveness.
And I think that what we can be sure of is that in the next number of years, and we're already seeing this play out, the efficiency domain of productivity is going to be increasingly outsourced to technology.
So the challenge that I would have for leaders is, in this world where the speed and the, and, and the volume of processes and tasks and output is gonna be driven by AI, does it help you to have your people overworked or to have your people sleeping at the desk or to have your people, you know...
Is it important to focus on the volume or their, of their contribution, or is it important to focus on the value of their contribution?
Um, today we're gonna be talking about one of the most important workplace debates happening right now, whether it's working less can actually mean achieving more.
Um, I mean, I was really impressed with, um, your latest, um, published book by the Harvard Business Review, um, Do More in Four, and I've, I've been following you for quite some time as it relates to the four-day workweek.
How, how did you get into this, uh, the four-day workweek? How, how did you at first begin, become to be interested in it? I, I'm curious to know.
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The idea that we're going to race against the machine on efficiency is a complete dead end.
So as I see it, productivity is a two-dimensional force that involves efficiency and effectiveness.
And I think that what we can be sure of is that in the next number of years, and we're already seeing this play out, the efficiency domain of productivity is going to be increasingly outsourced to technology.
So the challenge that I would have for leaders is, in this world where the speed and the, and, and the volume of processes and tasks and output is gonna be driven by AI, does it help you to have your people overworked or to have your people sleeping at the desk or to have your people, you know...
Is it important to focus on the volume or their, of their contribution, or is it important to focus on the value of their contribution?
Um, today we're gonna be talking about one of the most important workplace debates happening right now, whether it's working less can actually mean achieving more.
Um, I mean, I was really impressed with, um, your latest, um, published book by the Harvard Business Review, um, Do More in Four, and I've, I've been following you for quite some time as it relates to the four-day workweek.
How, how did you get into this, uh, the four-day workweek? How, how did you at first begin, become to be interested in it? I, I'm curious to know.
