Michael Bungay Stanier, author of the inspiring Do More Great Work and the social blockbuster End Malaria books, is now a featured Thinker in Residence over at KnowledgeBlocks. As part of his online residency, Michael and I talked about how to avoid busywork, what makes work great, and some important lessons he learned in undertaking a project like End Malaria.

I’ve been interested in Michael’s work for years, so this was a great chance to talk with him more about how he thinks and what he’s working on next. If you haven’t read his Do More Great Work, you’re missing out. Here’s a glimpse into what it’s about:

In today’s complex world, simply being willing and able to do one’s work is not enough. We need to find meaning in the work we do. This involves finding work that offers purpose, fulfillment, contribution, connection, and hope. Of course we find meaning in many settings…But many of us spend the majority of our waking hours at work. So it is vital that we find ways to make the organizations where we work more meaningful and abundant.

We define an abundant organization as a work setting in which individuals coordinate their aspirations and actions to create meaning for themselves, value for stakeholders, and hope for humanity at large.

I’m a firm believer in that you can’t do something well that you don’t feel good about, and you can’t really feel good about something unless it ties into the personal attributes Michael mentions above. Check out the book, and check out his Thinker in Residence page at KnowledgeBlocks.