Why “We Need to Work Longer” Is Almost Always a Bad Idea

Every now and then, your boss might say something like, "We need to work longer." It's almost always a terrible idea.

First of all, people may actually need to change something about their work, and so the motivation and the goal of the manager might be valid and important.

However, an emphasis on people working longer rarely achieves the intended goal. Why? Because the real goal is not that people work longer—but your boss doesn't necessarily know this. We'll see why in a moment. If you're telling people you want them to work longer, what are you really telling them?

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