Before Breakfast Second Cup: Enjoy your efficiency dividend
May 9, 2026
A look at how experience makes work faster and creates an 'efficiency dividend.' A listener story explores finishing full-time work in under 30 hours. Practical choices for extra hours are offered, from taking on more work to mentoring. Career-building ideas include reading, networking, and leading projects.
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Efficiency Dividend From Experience
- Experienced workers accumulate an efficiency dividend where tasks that once took 40 hours now take ~30 hours.
- Laura Vanderkam explains this comes from skills, networks, and knowing quick shortcuts like asking favors instead of reinventing processes.
Listener Worked Full Time In Less Time
- A remote employee met all objectives in under 30 hours while hired for 40, prompting the question if that's a problem.
- Laura recounts the listener's situation as a common case among skilled, non-managerial white-collar workers.
Use Spare Hours For Career Development
- Do not pretend to be busy; instead use extra hours for career-building activities that pay off long-term.
- Laura suggests reading in your field, networking, attending seminars, starting employee groups, and mentoring new hires.