We Often Hear the term “Working Smarter” so WHAT IS WORKING SMARTER?

by rictownsend

Job Vacancy Indonesia, Employee, Vacancy

Working smarter is about finding new ways to get the same results in less time. Working smarter is about “doing more with less” and is the basis for increased productivity.
The infamous 80/20 rule suggests that 80 percent of our results come from just 20 percent of our efforts. Conversely I have through experience found that as a manager, if you let it, 80 percent of your time can be spent managing the bottom 20 percent of performers. So the first way to improve our performance (work smarter) is to change our focus and invest more time in our top 20 percent of performers. Easy you may say, of course, however it will take great discipline to implement this basic change in behaviour.
Here are a few more working smarter ideas to consider:
Becoming sound human relations practitioners and acting with respect for the needs of others: If you communicate well, form sound relationships and become more aware of an other’s needs you are far more likely to be able to enlist their help in achieving your desired results. Central to achieving this of course is being willing to develop & show sincere interest our colleagues’ well-being.
Constantly seeking what is effective rather than efficient: I’ve seen the most efficient people shuffle paper, religiously answer emails and maintain perfect filing systems however these are not the activities that will produce improved outcomes or greater productivity. Efficiently managing inputs is a given for any competent manager however finding ways to improve the level of outputs is the core of effectiveness and to being a smarter worker.
Working towards being agents of change rather than knockers of the new: Change is constant and developing a need to seek new and better ways to do things is a must. Question everything and don’t assume that the way it’s always been done is necessarily the best way to get it done.
Increasing our value adders and ridding ourselves of energy suckers: if you can’t measure a positive outcome from an activity that you often engage in you really need to stop the activity or make a case to those that are imposing the activity on you on why it should be abandoned. Often other will have you doing something which is done out habit that may in truth, no longer really be necessary.
Understanding our five points of power and using them all – see: five points of power
Approaching every activity with a customer in mind – see: excellent customer service
Stever Robbins in an article for Harvard Business School says: “Another way to work smarter is by distinguishing busy from productive. Oh, we’re busy, and we feel productive, but we’re only productive if we’re producing the results that are most important to moving the company forward”. Ref: hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/5190.html
Managing our limited time wisely – a few tweets I have done in the past: twitter.com/rictownsend
• #Time #Management: Don’t clutter your desk, file it, delegate it, or trash it. Action 1 item at a time! Clutter slows work!
• #Time #Management: Stop ‘multitasking’ it is not time effective, trying to do 2 or more things at once just does not work.
• #Time #Management: Plan your work & work your plan. Remember the 6 p’s ‘Proper Planning Prevents Pitifully Poor Performance’
• #Time #Management: Give instructions once, ensure receiver focused & is listening by asking astute questions to confirm understanding!
• #Time #Management: Prioritize tasks in order of importance A B C piles, split B into A or C, file C until someone follows you up, do “A” now!
Finally sometimes subordinating our own desires as the manager for the sake of the group can be a wise decision as it can help to build trust and loyalty and improve levels of cooperation. Obviously you don’t want to become a puppet of the team you are leading, however dogmatically sticking to a course of action or point of view because of your delegated “legitimate power” can reduce your effectiveness as a leader and your ability to work smarter.