Great at Work: The Hidden Habits of Top Performers

by Morten T. Hansen

Key Points • Many people either follow their passion, or they ignore their passion. But as our research shows, the issue of achieving passion at work is not a matter of “following” or “ignoring,” but rather of “matching.” • In our study, managers and employees who matched passion and purpose performed far better than those who didn’t. They were likely to place 18 percentile points higher than those who didn’t in our 5,000-person dataset. • People with a strong sense of both passion and purpose are more energized, getting more done in each hour of work (and they don’t work many extra hours). • There are three ways to expand your passions and sense of purpose: • Discover a new role. You can likely find that match right where you are; you don’t have to leap to another profession. Seek a new role within your existing organization that better taps your passions and gives you a stronger sense of purpose. • Expand the circle of passion. Feeling passionate about work isn’t just about taking pleasure in the work itself. Passion can also come from: success, creativity, social interactions, learning, and competence. Expand your circle of passion by tapping into these dimensions. • Climb the Purpose Pyramid. Find ways to add more value (from chapter three), taking care that your contributions don’t cause harm. Second, pursue activities that are personally meaningful, no matter what others think. It helps to reframe one’s job to experience the significance it might just hold for you. T...