The enigma of ‘Smart Work’

 

- Pratik Badgujar

3 minute read

“Do smart work instead of hard work” is a popular adage in college placement training sessions as well as in the corporate. Smart work- achieving more output with lesser efforts. Technically, the ratio which measures it is called Productivity.

Productivity = Output/Input

But knowing the term won’t make you a smart worker instantaneously,  right? So, what to do? How to become a smart worker? Is it even possible to learn doing ‘smart work’? or is it that some people are just born smart workers? Let’s explore:

Ingredients of smart work:

 Understanding the fundamentals: Strong fundamentals is the most important requirement. No matter which field you are working in, how boring or interesting your job is, without strong fundamentals, you cannot do smart work at all

Zeal to reduce your effort constructively: Well, you may have come across many people who have the best fundamentals and yet they are just stuck in whatever they are doing. Such people never have dreamed of reducing their efforts. They just want to go by the instructions and simply be satisfied by that. While instructions are important, their essence and purpose are more important.

Ability to see the big picture: Ok, if you have the best fundamentals and you are really motivated to improve your productivity; what you next is to be able to see the ‘big picture’. The ability to see beyond your mandatory requirement. This comes from a slightly higher awareness of your surroundings. You must know what’s going around. Not just around but also up and down. One must be a little aware of what top management is thinking, what your colleagues and subordinates are thinking. Also have awareness about where the world is heading, where your nation, your company is heading, and last but not least where you are heading in your career.

Sounds too much of work? It actually isn’t. The trick is just to learn and remember whatever comes your way. Start with being aware of what your organization or business community is up to. What they are planning? Do you think they are right? Do their goals align with your ones? Once you have figured it out, start expanding your awareness horizon. Try to know about just everything.

Not everybody is blessed with a photographic memory and you may forget many of it and that’s totally Ok. Eventually, your mind will reprogram itself.

Here are my suggestions to become a smart worker yourself:

• Get your fundamentals right. Get a certification, read books, watch videos, talk to mentors, or just whatever way you can learn.
• Be clear as to what you are going to with your time saved? Do more or the same work or something else? Work on your hobby, play with your children, or just be in your own solitude. Whatever you decide, it's your choice.
• Read. Reading is the most important source of learning. Videos help you to understand the span of concept but reading gives you depth. Read good articles in newspapers, magazines, journals, or some app. You may also read internationally renowned books. Just Read. Period.
• Enhance your exposure: Try to do what you have never done or never even thought of doing it. Try to indulge in out-of-taste items. You listen to rock music only, try some classical composition. If you are a bookworm try some live music or dance concert. Try to experience a vast and vast variety of just everything. The most important thing though is that while doing so, be absolutely non-judgemental for the first few times. Just try to grasp the beauty of it. Yes, everything is beautiful, you just need to know how to experience it.

If you think some people are born smart workers, they aren’t. They must just be doing above listed thing religiously! Try, observe, and let us know if you find anything otherwise.

Be smart!

Suggested Read: 10 YouTube channels for a smarter you.