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Are you doing the most or the best? How to be resourceful with your time and talent.
Professionals often grapple with the societal urge to work hard and the innate ability to work smart. It's been shown that companies encourage and promote "hard work" but those ideals often stem from old habits or perceptions that lead to long days, late nights, and even resentment from those who matter most.
The truth is, over time and in recent years, technology and the awareness of mental health has changed the tempo, mindset and environment of the workforce. Individuals and teams have become more efficient and effective with their tools, resources, space and time - offering a return on investment for all those involved.
The famous quote from Tim Notke still holds true. "Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." However, the new talent has become working smart. So which is better? Let's break down the difference and compare the two concepts.
Working Hard
Sheer effort, or as my partner likes to say G.R.I.T., is the slow grind that pays off long term.
Guts - Are you bold enough for the challenging road ahead?
Resilience - Can you stick it out when the going gets tough?
Intensity - Do you have the strength to do the work?
Tenacity - Are you determined to persist?
Are you bold enough for the challenging road ahead? As a fitness trainer and financial analyst by trade, he's mastered both brawn and brains - a true mathlete with the awards to prove it. Studying the art of his ability to balance both with has been awe inspiring, especially as he does so with such calmness and control. And I realized...it's his discipline and diligence that has been crucial to achieve both. Diligence is the work (and application of that work) to accomplish a task or goal. It is the time he puts in to understand then apply techniques and technology effectively that allows him to excel in his fields. That's hard work. If you were not with him as he learns the skills and perfects his craft, you would think he is just "smart", but as he progresses, he gains wisdom and strength.
Pros: diligence, discipline, incremental progress, lessons learned along the way
Cons: long hours, laborious, can lead to burn out
Working Smart:
Prioritization, productivity, and processes are the highlights of working smart. Whether you finish your tasks first or fast, the ultimate goal is to save resources. Here decisiveness helps to maximize your time and helps organize thoughts such as:
What do I need to do?
Which will I do first and why?
What tools or technology can I utilize to expedite this task?
Who can elements of the task be delegated to?
My partner is gifted with the ability to improve processes and this talent has given him time back in his day to achieve more, help others, or simply rest. He can do in one hour what can take days for others to complete. Using his project management background, he slowly introduces process improvements through new concepts, tools, and technologies. Consulting with leaders and individual contributors to address issues, align visions, and adopt strategies. While this is occasionally met with push back from those who have always done it this way, they are eventually relieved of their stressors or workload and seek to find more ways to be efficient. This saves time for individuals, teams, and departments and saves money for the organization. Everybody wins!
Pros: encourages team work, promotes a healthy work-life balance, productivity,
Cons: long hours, draining, leads to burn out
The Statistics
According to a Harvard Business Review study, 64% of professionals believe that working smart is more important than working hard for career advancement. Conversely, a Forbes study found that 57% of professionals attribute their success to a combination of hard work and working smart.
The Synergy
Hard work builds discipline and resilience, while smart work optimizes efforts. When combined, you can operate at an optimal level of performance and positively impact others in a myriad of ways.
The Solution
Work hard to master diligence and discipline in perfecting your craft and work smart to incorporate discernment through prioritization, productivity, and processes. By doing so, you can elevate the standard of your work and create a personal brand of excellence. This will and naturally separate yourself from those who are either working hard or hardly working and potentially increase your opportunities for promotion.
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