How to Work Smarter, Not Harder

As our world grows more complex, we are getting busier than ever.  Add to that an uncertain economic climate that often results in minimized staffing where many employees find themselves doing the tasks of 5, and it is easy for things to fall in the cracks and for things to not get done.

Rather than experiencing the feelings of overwhelm and fatigue that quickly lead to burnout, conscious business leaders know this is an opportunity to work smarter, not harder.  Rather than finding ways to squeeze in the heavier workloads, this is an opportunity to learn how to accomplish our daily tasks and move forward in our visions in ways that will save time, money, and a whole lot of frustration.

Here are some ways you can work smarter, not harder:

1.    Simplify repeated tasks. Forms and templates can save time on a lot of tasks. For example, if you have to send out a lot of the same email, create a template email so you can just fill in the specific parts for each person individually.

2.    Group similar tasks. Just like the Ford assembly line automated tasks by grouping them according to type, doing the same will facilitate your day and save you much time.  For example, rather than writing an email at your computer than going over to the filing cabinet and filing a document, then making a call and having a meeting and going back to your computer again, instead allot a time slot for emails, a time slot for filing, a time slot for making calls and a time slot for meetings.  This simplistic thinking revolutionized many of our industries and saving you a minute here and a minute there throughout the day adds up into a lot of efficiency and additional time.

3.    Delegate. Delegate some of your responsibilities to other people.  We are moving away from an era of competition and making ourselves indispensable to an era of community and cooperation.  Often we don’t delegate task as we feel we don’t have the time to train another, however, this time in the end is an investment as it will provide you with more time for tasks of higher priority later. Training, delegating and building co-empowered teams is indispensable for today’s leaders.

4.    Automate. If you’re in a position that requires the same thing done every day, at the same time, then try to find a way to get the process automated so it happens without you there. An example would be to back up your computer every night, automatically.  Doing a little research, it is amazing to see how many software programs have been developed today to help us automate so many things.

5.    Eliminate the useless. There are unproductive things you do on a daily basis. In fact, you probably already know exactly what these distractions are! Identify these and commit to reducing or removing them from your routine and you’ll find a whole new world of time may open up for you.  Typical time wasters are meetings, internet, telephone chatter or not taking the time to plan.

6.    Focus on self first. Focus on your responsibilities rather than keeping an eye on the responsibilities of others. If everyone focuses on their primary responsibilities first, the large portion of the job gets finished and then minor details can be taken care of later.

7.    Learn to say “no.” Many people take on too much work because they’ve never learned to tell others “no.” Before taking on extra duties for someone else, make sure you schedule time for your own needs first.  Learning ways to say “no” assertively can be an amazing tool in saving you time.

8.    Know your limits. Just like learning to say “no”, not taking on more than you can handle will make you highly more effective in the tasks that truly make a difference.  Do you take on tasks in order to please the boss or teammates? If you do this on a regular basis, you’ll ultimately be working twice as hard because you’re not performing at your very best.  Be honest, learn what you can take on to maintain your greatest level of performance and keep it there.

9.    Practice the 20/80 rule. The 20/80 rule says that 20 percent of your actions tend to produce 80 percent of your results.  The most effective people are people that naturally focus on and act upon this 20%.  Study your tasks and results and determine what efforts are yielding the greatest outcome and make these tasks your priority and that of your team.

Working smarter, not harder is all about planning, executing and knowing your limits.

All in all, working smarter, not harder does just what it says. Not only does it save you valuable time, but your production levels will soar as well!

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