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Are You Working
HARD orsmart? Make no mistake, hard work pays. But when combined with working smart, a better result ensues.
What tips can be used to rewire your old self into working smarter and achieving better results? Let's take a look:
Admit Smart Work Compliments Hard Work
Hard work versus smart work. The idea is to know that both complement each other. You work hard, and then smart, noting what works and what doesn't.
Planning and Strategy
What differentiates any top performer from the crowd is the ability to have a winning game plan and execute it. Smart work is sitting down to plan your day, prioritizing tasks, setting up your to- dos and following through.
Eyes on the Prize
Clearly stated, what are you trying to achieve? How does it fit into your personal and organization's goals? At the start of every task, you should be able to objectively answer these questions. It keeps you focused on the end goal.
Personal or Team Effort
Most hard workers tend to do it alone, that's fine. Except it takes longer, gets lonelier, few stories to tell and zero bonding. Nothing beats a team that is in sync, not even an energetic workaholic. The smart route is to leverage on the strength of others and have a compounded impact.
Know and Play to Strengths
Comparative advantage is key in economics, and also top performance. Knowing what one is good at and concentrating on those strengths is actually smart work, (quality over quantity). You can always get team mates to augment your efforts in places that are lacking, or even outsource. It takes smart work to identify and utilise key strengths, while bringing in others to mitigate perceived weakness.
Higher Purpose
A combination of smart work and hard work should lead to an action plan solving a higher purpose through value addition. Think about it, every brand you see today is a solution to a nagging or not so obvious problem. When you work hard and then smart, you create an impact that you'll be proud of.
Go ahead and start something you'll be proud off tomorrow. Remember, start now!
PAGE 6 INSIDE ACCESS | SEPTEMBER 2020 3RD EDITION