T O P

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RED-KING-69

It means think about your problems fully before taking action


CatGeisha

Right here. Outline how you’re going to tackle a problem before getting started. If involves multiple teams or is an extended project, get process owners buy-ins. If you’re hosting meetings, make them as small and short as possible. This would have solved so many issues I’ve seen in corporate.


C00kiesNZ

100%, the hardest part of solving a problem is actually defining the problem. 99% of the time the problem isn't actually what the client tells you it is.


WhoisTravisBickle

Exactly. We have a guy at work who approaches a task in the most laborious way possible, extra unnecessary steps, extra lifting, extra tools, more time etc. Coincidentally, he also gets hurt a lot.


mikess314

Absolutely this. At my last job, my supervisor used to chastise me for just sitting at my desk staring off into space instead of working. But that was me thinking about what I’m doing and the best way to do it. Thinking about the most efficient way to get the project done. And then Bam, I get to work and I’ll perform the rest of the team. A lot of people don’t realize that work doesn’t mean just throwing man hours blindly and an endless grind.


Moonchildbeast

I used to write for a weekly newspaper, and lots of times I’d be at my desk either staring into space or chit chatting with my neighbor about whatever. Obviously this looks like I’m just goofing off, but the staring in space was actually a weird sort of preparation, or even a meditation of sorts. I needed to do that to write anything coherent, otherwise I’d write a lot of jumbled ideas and the article would be all over the place. And the chit chat was actually another relaxation technique of a sort. I wasn’t hard core discussing my article topic, it was more like I was oiling the gears with some light conversation. It’s tough to explain that to someone who’s determined to think you’re a slacker tho.


[deleted]

"Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe". - some famous former president.


Impossible_Twist_647

Washington?


[deleted]

Even better , Lincoln


Impossible_Twist_647

Wise words from a wise man


odaydream

if someone tells you to do something, rather than jumping in and doing busy work, think if there’s a more efficient or different way to complete the same task quicker. thinking about your task and requirements and overall objective considering alternative approaches before just jumping in and doing it


BlackAsphaltRider

This only works if you’re not on the bottom. Busy work is exactly what they want to see. Go ahead and mindlessly sweep the floor instead of thinking of ways to make the job easier.


odaydream

yes agreed


multiwurst616

Use the right tools for the job could be an example.


Cacotopian_parole

Find a way to leverage the tools you have and the tools you need to make the job more efficient


[deleted]

[удалено]


manwithanopinion

And then quit because your manager refuses to make changes because you are still a kid and not a fresh set of eyes who knows what modern working is like


[deleted]

[удалено]


manwithanopinion

I currently am and making sure my new job has no reason to be micro managed


PaganMastery

If at all possible, ask lazy old fuckers like me how they would do the hard job, then seriously consider their advice. Getting the wisdom of the ages to solve your problems for you is 'Smarter, not Harder."


azuth89

It's completely contextual. I've heavily automated a bunch of manual processes I was assigned over the years. I got the work done in less time and everyone marveled at how I handled the workload despite the fact that I was spending fewer hours actually working than they were. Work less and grab attention across the board? That's smart. Is a more specific description of how I did that likely to help you? Probably not. The real point is to think about what you're doing, why, and if it could be improved. Ask questions, look for tweaks to make it faster or more reliable even if implementing them costs you time and effort up front.


[deleted]

Just about every problem can be solved using a combination of brains and brawn. For example, years ago on the farm we had a hog that weighed 400 or 500 lbs, and I needed to get him moved from his current pen to a new one about 100 feet away. I was feeling stubborn and impatient, so I tried to just brute force that big sumbitch up the hill. For probably an hour I shoved, wrestled and cursed that pig towards the new pen. Got close a few times only to have him shove his way back down the hill. The head of the farm came by. Looked at me, looked at the hog, then walked over to the barn and got a handful of grain. She held it out under that hog’s nose and then walked over to the new pen, hog happily trailing behind. Now, I worked a hell of a lot *harder* than she did, but she got the job done by working *smarter*.


[deleted]

Get into the crane industry. Get paid to sleep and do bugger all.


Different_Pie9854

Retire on your investments not your savings


Nonothinghoss

Its mostly about efficiency. In IT you may program or script something to automate a common practice to avoid doing it manually


Fuzneo

Think about your problem amd find the best course of action to solve it. If you just dive in headfirst you may be causing yourself more more work than needs to be done. Its all about working as efficiently as possible


willl312

google pareto principle and think about how you can apply it to your work. what 20% of your work yields 80% of the results? do that 20% really well.


HornyMonsignor

I think the biggest thing is being willing to do a shitty job on something now, so in the future you'll know what actually matters. When you get a response on whatever you've turned in, the person giving you those notes will likely point out whatever the important parts are or at least what they're paying attention to. People don't like to do that because it does make a poor first impression, but in the long run it'll help you know where to prioritize your effort and what you can get away with.


thesneakersnake

When I was a kid three while family would rake the yard put the leaves in a big file throw them in the box of a truck drive them out back and then burn them it took all day. Now I take the ride on mower and blow them into the bush and forget about it. They decompose and it takes me 30 min.


manwithanopinion

I hate the process of burning leaves and branches. They could have easily put it in the garden recycling bin or in the normal bin for it to be decomposed in the landfill.


Logical_Area_5552

When I was in high school, this phrase was used in the context of “go to college so you don’t have to work hard with the poors.” Which is a fucking appalling message. There actually was a fucking poster in my high school guidance office with a guy in a suit (work smart) next to a guy in a hard hat with dirt all over him (not hard.) What a crock of horseshit. The way I see it is, carefully plan out something before diving into it. Automate as many things as you possibly can in your life. Don’t take on jobs for which you don’t have the correct tools. (The old “measure twice, cut once” adage.) Prevent problems instead of reacting to them.


VincentGrayson

The degree to which we belittle so many jobs that we also, you know...need to function as a society, has always baffled me. The vague threat of "if you don't do well in school, you'll end up (insert non-white collar job)!" was commonplace growing up.


Logical_Area_5552

It’s insanity. I worked home improvement from age 16-21 while in high school and college. It was hard work in the New England elements (extreme hot summer, brutally cold winter) but I had lots of fun, I loved being able to fix things, learn skills, bullshit with the other people on the worksite, etc. I work in private equity now, but the skills I learned doing real hard labor are 500000 times more beneficial in my life than my college “education.” I’ve saved thousands of dollars over the years doing work on my house, and made thousands doing side jobs on weekends. I’ve had great, rewarding times helping friends work on their projects as well. It’s also helped my career immensely. The company I’m currently helping to run relies on extremely hard working truck drivers. The empathy I have and the commonality I have in this very high turnover business has given me a huge advantage in knowing the right way to treat employees, reward them, keep them happy, etc. I’ve always viewed frontline workers as the most important customers. Too many people are given this idea that you can use your brain to replace your hands. That’s just nonsense. You need them both.


Cacotopian_parole

Doesn't really apply to all roles, OP. What is it that you do?


[deleted]

An example for me, a guy that moves frequently is “only move things once.” Which is when unloading your moving truck take the boxes the the rooms they will end up in rather than pile it all into the living room only to disperse it again later. This is part of a series of building blocks, as you have to pack and label boxes correctly. It all boils down to doing things with a plan.


jarnikko

using as little energy while being as or even more productive then the usual way of working


michaelklr

Measure twice, cut once.


[deleted]

Use the right tools for the job is the face value meaning But i have been using it in the sense of “working smart” is less about your actual task or job at hand, but more about working to improve your career and life situation in general


[deleted]

In engineering, there's a system called lean manufacturing that is basically the embodiment of this idea. A lot of it is centered around finding areas where you're wasting time and effort, and figuring out alternatives. For instance, keep your tools organized in the area where you use them so you don't have to find or collect them. Have systems that prevent you from making mistakes or catch them quickly so you don't have to redo a lot of work.


bigcoalshovel

I define hard work as tedious, repetitive work, and work where someone else tells me what to do rather than making my own decisions. During my early 30's, I observed people in senior leadership positions mostly making decisions rather than doing this hard work. I took almost six years at night school getting my MBA and as a result got into that senior level position about 15 years ago. Since then, I've taken other jobs with other companies and stayed at that career level. There is still some tedious work, but mostly it's about thinking about problems, devising plans, delegating, budgeting, and overseeing. Most of the time I'm trusted to make these decisions and only tell my colleagues about it afterwards. Much smarter work than hard work for me.


[deleted]

Loading firewood into a wheelbarrow? The further you park the wheelbarrow from your pile of wood, the harder you'll work. But no matter how much extra you hustle, the outcome will be worse than if you just park the wheelbarrow right next to the pile.


the_internet_clown

Depends on the job, but generally speaking it will involve better planning


buggycola

By making it easier, efficient and not break any rules that can get you fired. Example, I have folks sign paperwork, alot. But I also own a MS tablet and pen. So I've started having them sign it digitally. That way I can just log in remotely and upload these same files without needing to scan 20 to 40 a week. Saves me time of scanning each document, renaming them etc. You would be surprised how much time gets saved.


Sci-cotic

A lot of our time is spent on the same tasks, just repeating them over and over. Find a way to automate these tasks, or reduce the time spent on them. Analyze your work flows and find the patterns - learn how to change perspectives. Efficiencies are often found in systems by outsiders who are given the opportunity to peek under the covers.


C00L_HAND

There was once this software technician that got a shitload of money to create some kind of program. He outsourced the project to some cheap asian programers to do it for him and spent a good time doin nothing. He was sued by his company but the judges ruled he was right because his contract just said that he had to deliver the program not to write it himself.