Stop 'working smarter, not harder.' Here's a better approach....
Alice Lyons ??
Turning good eggs into great leaders | Work confidence expert | Leadership + management trainer | Coach, mentor + facilitator | Suicidality speaker, writer + podcaster | Get seen, heard, and taken seriously.
You've probably heard about 'working smarter, not harder.' But this approach can be really frustrating in practice.
Not least because it assumes we're smart enough to live up to it
?? and I don't know about you, but?I don't want to put that pressure on myself!
?? I've tried a whole range of productivity hacks, personal effectiveness techniques and prioritisation strategies over the years:
??the Pomodoro technique works great for getting occassional bursts of creative writing done (like this email)
? but trying to run my whole day through a stopwatch gets boring after a while
??the Eisenhower Matrix is a handy little tool to help me get a sense of my priorities for the day
? but it doesn't help me actually make a start on any of those jobs once they're sorted into a nice ranked list
? and if I try to 'incentivise' myself to get work done by giving myself a treat afterwards, I just get hangry, lash out, and preemptively scoff a whole sleeve of Jaffa Cakes.?
That's not to say that these techniques don't work or that I'm broken;?I teach a lot of time management techniques in my group sessions and 1:1 coaching.
But the issue comes from how we frame our approach to work;
?
???By trying to tell ourselves to work SMARTER, we're putting an undue amount of pressure on PERFORMANCE.
?? This SOUNDS great - we all want to do good work and feel proud of ourselves at the end of the day
but performance and achievement are not the only things we should be striving for
??and?we could do ourselves a lot of damage if we over-focus on these things.
We're more likely to:
??overwork
??feel stressed
??hate aspects of our work
??resent clients
??be a nightmare to work with
??make mistakes
??feel overwhelmed
??push ourselves too hard?
??burn out completely?
??feel a lack of work satisfaction.
?? Not fun.
???? So, I advocate a different approach:
One that is?more balanced?and puts an emphasis on not just the OUTPUT of your work, but the way in which you do it.
It's all about the JOURNEY - not the destination:
Working?BETTER.
'Better work' will look different for everyone
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but some of the common ways I help people include:
??finding workflows, systems, and habits that help their work to flow better
??figuring out how to get the work-life balance they want
??reducing overwhelm so work feels manageable
??getting their time and energy back by setting boundaries
??feeling more confident in their role and abilities
??communicating more effectively with team members and clients?
??feeling energised enough to have a life outside of work
??feel creative, inspired and productive?
??forming better daily routines that support their wellbeing
The?results are unique to the individual?based on what their aspirations are,?but they all fall under 6 categories?which form the basis for my 1:1 coaching framework:
?????CLARITY?- figuring out what 'better work' means to them, and how they can cultivate it
?????COMMUNICATION?- learning how to convey themselves authentically, effectively and assertively
?????CAPACITY?- creating more space in their brain, calendar, and daily life
?????CONFIDENCE?- the fast route to feeling like a badass!?
?????CAREER DEVELOPMENT?- defining their version of success and moulding their work to fit this
?????CONSISTENCY?- creating sustainable changes for long-term improvements to the way they work
?? Once these 6 areas have been worked on,?every area of their working lives improves, from productivity to performance?
???? so,?the focus on the journey doesn't come at the detriment of the destination;?it actually helps you get there
?? and - more importantly - you can do it with more ease and enjoyment along the way.
?? So, I hope I've won you round to working BETTER not HARDER
?? and if you'd like a champion to guide you along the way, you know where I am.
- Alice???
TLDR:?
Forget 'work smarter not harder' and work BETTER to enjoy the journey, not just the destination.
?
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?? I'm Alice Lyons ?? - a work-based wellbeing specialist on a mission to help you and your team work BETTER not HARDER so you can feel badass in business (without burning out)
?? Interested in working together?
???? To browse all my work-based wellbeing services (with prices) have a look at the?Dark Coffee?service guide?
???book yourself in for a coffee chat?to talk through the options on Zoom
?? or, if you want to jump straight into a coaching session, just?book here
Award winning Career Coach?? of The Career Happiness Mentor, host of The Career Happiness podcast???& CSW68 UN Delegate
1 年Thanks for sharing Alice Lyons ??. I definitely think it’s important to test and try different techniques and approaches. I use different methods myself. For me personally I also have theme days like writing one day, podcasting, speaking to clients etc. This has helped my focus alot. I do think productivity hacks can sometimes be overwhelming themselves lol. So if you have anxiety like me having tools that curb the anxious of what needs to be done can help too. I also think we phones can be a huge distraction. So I actually have huge breaks from my phone when I know on know I need to do alot of work. Distractions are something that stop a lot of us so it’s about understanding what works for you and what doesn’t.
Senior Credit Controller at OneFile; part of Harris Computer group of companies
1 年I’d disagree partly. Working smarter by prioritising workloads or working on different types of tasks at different times of the day isn’t always practical or productive. However working smarter by rethinking processes or using available resources ie CRMs, shifting task’s between teams where workflow allows or other communication systems in a different or more joined up way will provide dividends. If you’re already overloaded and working beyond your capacity/hours then no amount of reorganising of tasks will help.
Virtual Assistant with flair! | Giving you Simplicity, Support and Freedom to your life! Passionate about driving Business Growth, Communication and Organisation
1 年I'm going to be controversial here and say.... I totally agree with what you say in your newsletter, BUT by adopting your 6 points and approaching work in a more sustainable way that is less stressful and way more fun, can this not be classed as working smarter? A smarter way to work that is better for you. I think your points are extremely good and well thought out; they all help a lot and totally agree that they can all lead to a better quality of life all round.
Coach & Mentor for late realised (Maybe) ADHD women ? I'll help you make everything make sense! ??Founder: (Maybe) ADHD community ??Creator of The Dopamine Delivery ??Speaker??Podcaster??Author??ICF Accredited
1 年Fab article and couldn’t agree more!
Telecoms Provider, Membership Engagement Manager and Sales Coach and Mentor.
1 年AMEN sister - crap advice given by crap coaches who cant do either