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7 Ways to Work Smarter

Working smarter doesnt necessarily mean that you need to change everything you dobut it could start with a few small changes such as these seven suggestions.

Work Smarter Idea No. 1 Begin with the end in mind

It is always wise to know the end-game or the final destination of your journey. For

example if you are executing a project it is essential to understand what thedeliverables are and the deadline for the work to be completed. It is also important tounderstand why you are doing this so that you are able to see the bigger pictureremember why you need to stay focused and complete the job.

Work Smarter Idea No. 2 Have a plan in hand

We cannot deny the importance of planning when it comes to execution. Failure oftenstems from a lack of preparation and planning. It is also crucial to have a structure inplace that supports your plan and helps get you to the final destination that you havedefined earlier. !ets face it there will be times that our energy may be low and we

may even get side-tracked from our goals. " solid support structure will help us stay ontrack. For example setting time for status report meetings by putting the dates ineveryones calendar in advance will allow for regular timely updates and adjustmentsto be made if and when necessary.

Work Smarter Idea No. 3 !tso!r"e

#here is a strong argument for playing to our strengths as all of us excel in somethingbut we cant be a $%ack-of-all trades& and neither should we attempt to be as this mayderail us from being successful at what we are good at.

"s such it may make more sense to outsource a non-core task or bring in external

consultants to work on areas which re'uire expertise that your team does not possess.(therwise you and the team may be pulled into the trap of spending a lot of time tryingto reinvent the wheel and end up with a wheel that doesnt work as well as it should.

Work Smarter Idea No. # $o %or the High&Impa"t Items

#he higher up the corporate ladder you are the more meetings and trainingopportunities you are likely to have. Whilst it would be nice to attend them all it maybe physically impossible to do so.

For instance it may be wise to choose which training sessions to attend by selectingthe ones that can add the most value to your personal and professional development.

Work Smarter Idea No. ' Stop (eing a per%e"tionist

)any of us try to do everything ourselves because it may appear that guidingsomeone to do the job will take too much time and effort. *owever this task may take-up a lot of valuable time which could have been spent on more productive workparticularly if it is a recurring task. #he idea is to delegate the work that can beaccomplished by someone else so that you can focus on what really matters.

Work Smarter Idea No. ) *i"k +o!r Battles

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It would be nice if we could all go through life without any obstacles or roadblocks.+nfortunately this doesnt happen in reality. #here is usually that one individual whomyou know will object to your idea in a meeting or a boss who wont easily approve yourplans without numerous detailed discussions. In such situations it is important to pickyour battles and not try to fight every single one of them as the time and energy spentmay not justify your efforts.

Work Smarter Idea No. 7 & Be open and get help %rom others

We often forget that we are not alone in most situations that we face. ,omeone youknow may have faced a similar situation or you may have a colleague whom you canbrainstorm with to come up with solutions. #he burden may not seem as heavy if youare able to share it with someone even if it is just to get another perspective ofcourse it is also important to choose your confidant wisely and not discloseconfidential information that should not be shared.

eedless to say if we are only working smart and not putting in the necessary hourswe may not achieve our objectives and goals as it generally takes about /0000 hours

of practice to master a skill or to become an expert. Working smarter in such aninstance may not be enough rather achieving a balance of working hard and workingsmart is the ideal combination.

*,-IN/ N$ managing director of 1#I 2onsultants believes in achieving a goodbalance between working hard and working smart.