Irrespective to industry, job or organization, there are not always sufficient hours to complete everything you intend; many tasks are hanged on for the next day. If it starts happening frequently, you start feeling low in esteem and lagging the efficiencies that you should have. The uncertainties about the job and you’re within organization repute start hovering your mind killing your productivity further. To compensate the harms done, you work harder and harm your wellness. So, what is the solution? Simple, you should work smarter not harder.
Importance of Regulating Work Hours:
According to Bob Sullivan as explained on CNBC.com, “The employee’s productivity falls shard after 50-hours work per week; if the work hours are increased up to 55, we see cliffs in productivity. Constant distraction at the workplace and an outdated working schedule hugely dent our productivity.
Numbers of recruiters make it clear that staying in office after scheduled working hours may be required. The hours of overtime is admired for being more committed to work but it takes the heavy toll on your wellness and pleasure also. Health care cost for the organizations where employees work under work pressure is almost 50% more than in other organizations. (Source: BMC Public Health).
7 Guidelines to Manage Hours for Smart Working:
- Energy, not your work hours, is the fundamental currency of high productivity.
- Shallow working stops you from being fired but the deep working habit awards your promotion.
- The morning routine engaging you for 30-120 minutes after waking up in non-professional tasks, supports you perform better.
- Do not be so immersed in work that there is nothing else in your world.
- Respect the co-relation between free time and quality life.
- People are a better performer and more productive when working in an environment and way that suit them the best.
- The autonomy and flexibility granted to choose when, where and how to work increases your productivity.
Why You Need To Be Smart Working Not Hard Working:
- Hard work drains you out
- Working smart keeps you relaxed by saving energy
- Smart working increases productivity
- Working hard always kills your motivation, confidence, and engagement.
- Working hard drops the performance and output quality
- Smart working makes you noticed and valuable.
- Working smarter provides you opportunities to apply skills for creativity, innovation and new learning.
- Working smarter improves self-esteem
Eight Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder In the Workplace:
- Respect the work hours: Time available in office is a limited resource. Don’t try to stretch it; instead, try to make the most from each minute you spend there. Create a diary to note down the activities per day and find out the time leaks as well as other issues to be addressed. Grade yourself for being a smart worker on a daily basis without missing quality food, medicines, and exercise, etc. Don’t commit overcapacity.
- Categorize & prioritize the tasks: Use the advanced technology to support the do-it- today list. Don’t let the email inbox be your ‘to do’ list for the day. Categorize the tasks, prioritize and plan to these in a reasonable time. Note down the innovative methodology or new technology that you use the first time for a particular type of task to avoid wasting time for reinventing the wheel again.
- Hire smarter people than you: You may be weak in certain areas; fill this knowledge gap by hiring the specialists for particular tasks. Reduce your workload and save time by distributing it to the specialist professional.
- Don’t adopt new idea at an advanced stage of a task: the numbers of projects are left unfinished just because a new idea comes in unexpectedly and impresses the project leader; the distraction by the new idea at the last stage of the project affects your performance and piles-up the work pressure. Use the new ideas for the next project.
- Use the advanced technology for performance boost: Today, we have numbers of software and apps to simplify the complex tasks. Rely upon and adopt the best methodologies and technologies to simplify your task for time-saving but without any compromise with delivered quality. For example, Kaizen tools help to eliminate several issues that affect productivity. Similarly, a cloud-based HoshinPMS Performance Management and Improvement Software help the professionals to develop the right goals & strategies for the top performance.
- Focus on DRIFT: The acronym DRIFT means ‘Do it Right the First Time’. Don’t leave abandoned the 90- 99% completed task to start up the new one at the earliest. Do one task at one time with focus without being distracted by other developments.
- Design a process for the self and team members: Without having a concise and clear process to complete a task within a set time period, you and your team members will work hard but to run in circles. Therefore, plan the best even if takes time. The streamlined process saves you from volumetric efforts for repeat tasks. The short-term training like Lean Management & Continual Improvement training and Kaizen Coordinator Certification training help you enhance productivity & efficiencies.
- Upgrade your skills: There are numbers of short-term online courses like Profitability Improvement, Strategy Development, Performance Management & Improvement, Cost Reduction, Process Improvement, Manpower Productivity, etc that you can attend even while being in a regular job.
The instructor-led virtual classes help you prepare for the online exam. The learned skills support you implement new ways to simplify the tasks at a better performance level as well as added credentials boost your career growth prospects bring in mental peace and much-desired feel of financial security.
Concluding Note:
The right timing, considering limits, putting yourself first, having control, planning before the act, innovative approach, leveraging other people’s talent and building your strengths, etc are the key guiding principles to work smarter, not harder in your workplace. To be successful in the long run, invest right strategies, approach, time management and efforts loving yourself with a positive attitude.
