Work Smarter Not Harder

18 July, 2008 at 4:01 AM
One thing I don't like about Asian culture is the common boast about how HARD Asians work.

The problem with this is that working 'hard' does nothing to address the issue of efficiency. It has everything to do with the issue of intensity. At lower levels for tasks requiring little thought, working hard meets no barriers. Once the nature of work starts becoming more complex, however, the problems start.

The alternative to working harder is to work smarter. What does it mean to work smarter? Working smarter means to look at the resources (both potential and realised) you have at your disposal; identify, create and consolidate synergies between these resources, and; monitor outputs to establish the relationship of cause-and-effect so that the results can be replicated elsewhere.

Of course, working smart without working hard runs into the same problem. If working smarter amplifies your results, you still need some tangible results to amplify in the first place!

Ironically, the opposite problem seems to affect Aussie folk. They're damn smart workers (motivated to beat/cheat the system?) but lazier than furniture. Just for the record. So you don't think I'm picking on Asians. Also note that these are generalisations; I'm not about to rain on specific people.

Apparently, 80% of physiotherapists suffer thumb pain. Blame that on all the poking and prodding we do, eh? Okay, so we work hard (arguably?). But why don't we start learning to work smart as well? Improve our ergonomics? Adapt treatment techniques? Promote self-management to give ourselves a rest (the answer to this last one is because most patients are so lazy and come in expecting a magic bullet for conditions that they've perpetuated through their inaction for months and years... bah. And no I'm not regurgitating that; I've treated such people first-hand). I find it difficult to understand how many physios are supposedly smart people but lose that reputation once they start work. Nobody ever told me that commencing a career had a dumbing-down effect :(

Let's broaden our horizons just a bit. Spiritually you've learnt to work hard. But have you learnt to work smart?

In Faith, Hope and Love!

1 Responses to Work Smarter Not Harder

  1. joforjoanna Says:

    theo thoe. awarded you something. a compulsory tag (for me). but you don't have to ;)

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