I'm an entrepreneur with six ventures under my belt; some of them were successful, some of them not, yet I've always heard the phrase "Work smart, not hard" throughout all of them. And every one was saying it with such a mysterious look!
God alone knows how annoying it was. And believe me every thinking and developing individual wants to work smart and not hard.
You are aware that working smarter, not harder, is never taught. I'm possibly being too harsh on them because they even established MBA programs and universities for business. Maybe they do teach it as a concept, but we have to figure out how to be "smart" for ourselves in each unique circumstance. And most likely every time when we have to find that mysterious “smart”, especially when we have a lot of responsibilities, kpi’s and other pressure, we face a lot of stress.
First of all, let's keep in mind that numerous studies and the theory of nonviolent communication developed by Dr. Marshall Rosenberg in particular demonstrates that financial motivation is ineffective the majority of the time when we lack a specific plan to follow and must fend for ourselves a successful outcome.
In other words, on the one hand, when we pay more for intellectual work where individuals must independently discover and deliver solutions without any prior instruction, 80% of the time they fail.
On the other hand, when we offer just enough money and a solid work-life balance, where the needs for empathy, autonomy, healthy challenge, and development are met in addition to needs for significance and common shared values. In that instance, we see improved productivity and a good team dynamic.
Does that sound "smart" enough? Not for me! It is still very abstract. Simply improving people's moods could lead to increased output and financial gain? Really?
It has a bull**** smell! Personally, I'm looking for pure clarity in business and all processes.
I found that enigmatic "human resource" in one of my ventures. Every procedure is dependent on the individuals performing it. Simply said, it suggests that people who are qualified, satisfied, and happy produce greater results.
But how painful was my journey to that understanding?
You probably already know that everyone has their own world, sees and interprets the world through the lens of their own experiences. Therefore, everyone has a unique set of values and cognitive perception. What if we could actually know them? additionally be able to discern people's thoughts and intentions? It turned out to be the most useful skill for me.
We now arrived at the other fascinating challenge that occasionally faces my clients. Everyone has a unique perspective. “What if, as one eminent novelist put it, only speaking the same language could we understand the genuine meaning of what they are trying to explain and truly speak their language”.
"It took me a lot of time to explain the duties that my team members needed to complete, but I always ended up doing it myself” - says one of my students from E&Y consulting company.
Delegating certain tasks and responsibilities can be challenging for many people. Does it ring a bell? And does it actually sound like "working smart"? The ability to convey the knowledge of the outcome in "other people's language" in a way that is consistent with their system of values and cognitive reactions is the biggest challenge for most people.
At the end of the day, I just want to share what consistently works for me in any team. I obtain the finest outcomes and dream teams that are highly motivated and driven to produce the best service or product once I pay attention to people, to their needs and desires, and know how to maintain trust, producing not soulless machines out of business processes and teams but rather an alive organism.
Obviously, for consistency in results It is better to have a reliable framework that aids in human understanding. After that, achieving your targeted goals becomes much simpler. The finest part is that you preserve millions of nerve endings while waiting for your team to produce the best outcome. When your staff understands you and accomplishes your desired goals, I refer to this as Happy Business.
Anyway, "working smart" to me means knowing what your team and your client want and need as well as how to maintain trust with them. And when everyone is content, you may easily receive your happy money!
You don't need to work hard! Just know what they want…
What does “working smart” mean to you? I would be very glad to know that in the comments pls.