We hear it all the time, but seriously, what exactly is ‘Work Smart’?

There’s a saying that goes like this: ‘Choices are more important than effort’

I had always thought effort will eventually lead to results, after all, that was how I have survived my days. With more experience throughout my working years, I have come to realized that the wrong effort is not only wasted effort, but it can also pave the way to hell. Right now, I’d like to put my focus on the concept of ‘working smart’.

Recently, I’ve been working hard on a project and have spent many hours setting up appointments with different personnel to solve the issue.

One week prior to my deadline I realized I have missed out one important criteria of the project, which is daunting as I’d have to re-meet everyone who was involved in the project.

Caption: Working at your full speed towards the wrong direction will only put you further away from your goal.

My leader’s voice rings in my head, 

“Work smart next time, Chin Cheng. Work smart.”

First, smart work starts with a goal in mind. Putting your effort at the right places is what really matters for whichever goal you want to achieve, as advised in the “7 Habits of Highly Effective People”:

Begin with the End in Mind means to begin each day, task, or project with a clear vision of your desired direction and destination,and then continue by flexing your proactive muscles to make things happen. 

Before execution, it’s always good to pause and take a good hard look at what you want to achieve (a.k.a. the desired results). Though there’s no guarantee to always hit the nail right on the head, but a little 1% improvement at a time is better than 100% of effort with the same old result.

Caption: “People are working harder than ever, but because they lack clarity and vision, they aren’t getting very far. They, in essence, are pushing a rope with all of their might.”

DR. STEPHEN R. COVEY

Once the direction is set, the rest is all skills/hacks/techniques to achieve the desired results. I personally think there’s many ways to achieve what you desire, but what works for you is the better question.

Finally, I find taking constructive feedback from your teammates, and spending more time to reflect help gives clarity.Reflection is not always easy. To looking back and accepting the fact that all has been done in vain is discouraging.