Working Smart, Not Hard is about putting people first.
You have probably heard the saying “Work smart, not hard,” but what does that really mean? Like a lot of expressions, we may believe in the principle more than the actual practice. However, I feel as though we can translate this expression in a slightly different way. I feel the saying best relates to the practice of creating a working environment where as employees we feel our success is not based solely on quantifiable goals but rather the quality of our results. Simple enough–except with an economy that is so driven by the bottom line, these fundamentals can easily get hacked away by the ever-dwindling value of the dollar. So how do we work smart in environments where value is placed on quantity and driving numbers?
It seems as though we need to put our value back in people, practice and good old-fashioned customer service. Let us remember that companies create value when they value people. I am talking about true value, not the value of having a name on a "100 Best Companies to Work" list. Those lists may be valued by the top sector but guaranteed less by the employee and this is where the true disconnect lies. What does an employee truly care about? The answer is simple: Feeling valued day in and day out. It is really as simple as that. With this type of thinking, we can be put in the position where we find ourselves going home satisfied, instead of completely devoid of energy. It is where value is given that enables us to grow in our jobs, innovate and feel like our work has impact.
In my career, I have found the best jobs to be the ones that give energy, not take it away. My dad has a saying too – “There are life givers, and life takers.” Be a life giver. Unfortunately, a lot of jobs take rather than give. So I think the true expression of work smart not hard is about giving the energy that allows employees to expand themselves and support our natural disposition to do better and be better. When companies can only see growth from a quantifiable perspective where they think they are fostering growth, they are likely only creating short term gains. Remember, the overworked employee is at the end of the day a less productive one. Rates of retention are numbers that should speak just as strongly as those which amplify the company’s monetary value.
We need support on this value proposition, as in where the value comes from. As Maya Angelou so aptly put it , “At the end of the day people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel.”
So for as much as we may not like to mix business with emotion, it will be there. And it is always going to be there. The true motions and emotions that come with this value system are what will create the biggest legacy and the truest most positive position for the future of the business, whatever that may be.
What is your company value system? Is it people first? Or product?
As an employee are you allowed to work smart and not hard?
