Tag: Corporate Culture

Why Working Smart is the Result of Working Hard

Before working smarter, we may need to work hard. Read on.

image showing a representation of smart work

Work smarter, not harder.

We all must be familiar with the above quote.

But there lies a paradox behind this which we often don’t understand.

Before we work smarter, we need to understand how something actually works, thoroughly. It is only then we will be able to understand that what is the smarter thing that we can do. We will have to engage with the task at hand. We will have to undergo multiple processes of trial and error. We might even have to fail, succeed, fail, succeed in cycles. It is then that we will understand what to do to work smarter.

In other words, to work smarter, we will have to work hard at it first.

Let us think about certain examples regarding this:

An artist will have to understand thoroughly how the colours blend with each other, the exact texture the canvas has that enables it to bring out the best in the colours. They will have to understand how perspective works, how life translates onto the canvas and so on.

In other words, they will have to work hard at their art first, and then once they have gained the mastery, they can start working smarter, and make use of techniques that work the best for them.

In a new job, you will first have to understand your work responsibilities thoroughly. For that, you will need to perhaps give an hour or two extra for your shift. You may have to do some double, triple checks initially before you learn how to figure something out in a single glance. You may have to make some mistakes before understanding how to do something without making those mistakes.

Any professional, in whatever field they are can’t become a smart worker before becoming a good worker first. They must experience learning, making mistakes and learning again.

Even AI needs to go through hoards of data, and course correct the self-learning to work smartly!

Not just in skill development. Think how:

To deal with a ‘difficult’ client smartly, you may have to work hard at understanding their previous records, go over multiple files. You may have to understand how the earlier meetings have gone, what has worked and what has not worked, how your other colleagues have dealt with them and so on. Only then you will be able to deal with them smartly.

Or how in order to conduct a smooth meeting, you must work hard on developing the agenda structure, so that when the meeting does come up, you can make smarter decisions about task management, the issues in focus, and delegation of objectives.

Working smarter isn’t simply about using shortcuts to achieve something. It is not about working less. It is not about avoiding work. Working smarter comes from working harder at first. To quote author Shane Parrish,

‘Smarter approaches aren’t universal shortcuts, they’re contextual insights uncovered through deep, sustained effort.’

To cut out unnecessary work, you need to understand what unnecessary work is. To develop a shortcut, one must first understand what is wrong with the longer route. Working smarter is a ‘smart’ blend of effort, experience, and hard work. Smart work is the eventual result, not an immediate substitute for hard work.

An ‘Unkind’ Way to be Kind

Negative criticism, telling someone they are rejected could sometimes be the kindest ‘unkind’ things we do for them.

Anisha has had a not-so-great interview. It was just one of those days. She knew it had not gone too well, and she just wanted to move past it. She wanted to now look into what could be done next. She was prepared for a ‘no’ and just wanted to hear it so that she could plan ahead.

Instead, what she received in her e-mail was something else. She was told that they find her promising and they will reach out to her as required.

She did not like this. Why? We will get to that reason soon.

Let us look at one more scenario before that.

Ashu had been assigned to mentor an intern named Vikas. Vikas was quite eager to learn- he often accompanied Ashu to major meetings, and networking events to get more ‘real world’ experience. The only issue with Vikas was that he sometimes said things out loud a bit too bluntly. Where someone could have been wrong, Vikas simply pointed it out. There was no constructive feedback, or no follow up questions that may give the other a chance to speak about their side of things. Ashu noticed this habit and wanted to point it out to Vikas but he held back fearing it might upset their dynamic. Or that Vikas might not take it in the right spirit.

Ashu’s approach was not the best if we look at it in the long run. Why?

The reason is the same as why Anisha also did not like that e-mail she received.

The reason being a lack of honesty and in turn, lack of clarity.

When Anisha is left with that uncertain e-mail, it gives her false hopes. Thoughts will come to her such as  ‘They are saying they find me promising so I guess I still have a chance…’ or ‘What if they call just when I take up another job?’

If they had simply said that although she is promising, her profile does not fit what they are looking for, Anisha would have got that message loud and clear. A negative message for sure, and a bit of a heartbreak even, but she would know that it’s time for her to move on and look elsewhere.

When Ashu refrained from telling Vikas that the latter needed to be wiser with his interactions, speak more gently, be a better listener, more curious and less judgmental, Vikas would have known what was the issue with his ways. He would have learned something about himself. After all, Ashu is the mentor, and it is okay if he points this out, in fact, he should point this out. On the other spectrum is of course, the bluntness that we saw in the intern’s ways of speaking, which needs correction.

The current culture tells us to be kinder to each other. We see tons of online content, telling how people might be struggling with their own silent battles and thus we should be more considerate. We are often scared to tell people something clearly, and hope that the issue will resolve itself.

This is seen in the form of professional ghosting, feedback sandwiched in jargon or feedback that is more about pointing out mistakes and less about giving clarity about the corrections needed.  Feedback that doesn’t tell anything concrete. Ultimately all these forms of communication with a lack of clarity lead to systems lacking transparency.

Clarity and honesty are gifts that could act like (somewhat) bitter medicines that ultimately lead to good. Saying no, giving negative but constructive feedback, calling the situation as it is- these all lead to clarity, redirection and ultimately growth. We can be kind with it. In fact, sometimes, that is the kindest thing we can do to.

Will you Choose the Forest or the Bouquet?

Some situations demand us we wait patiently for the forest to grow, while sometimes, we need the instant joy of the gift of a bouquet. Read on.

image showing a plant and a bouquet to talk about creating systems

Say, you have been given some seeds, and it is expected that you will grow a forest out of it.

How would you go about with it?

Perhaps you will first try to determine in which soil do the said seeds thrive the most. Their nutrient requirements, how much water and sun do they need- all of this will be followed consistently.

You will know that since a forest is expected, it will take a long while. You may see the signs of the forest over the months and years, through the growth and such, so it’s not that you will not get any rewards or signs of your care in regards to the seeds.

But since you are to grow a forest, which may take a generation or two to grow, you will create something that will enable the future generations to also care and nurture that forest. Perhaps a guide or a set of instructions that lets one know how to care for the shrubbery grown so far, so that it one days grows into a forest. And continues to grow, with or without you.

You, and the ones who care for it will get the rewards in the form of the flowers and the fruits and medicinal herbs and countless other use that a growing forest rewards us with. Insects, birds, small animals, the microorganisms in the roots and the soil underneath- everyone will benefit.

Growing a forest takes some planning, time and effort. But once the system is in place, it thrives on its own, and it benefits not just the person who planted the first seeds and cared for it, but even the ones who become a part of that system, directly (through its nurturing and care) or indirectly (the ecosystem around it).

Now compare this with buying a bouquet of flowers from the market.

It will require some money, a good aesthetic taste, knowledge about good florist shops in the city. Once the bouquet has been gifted to someone, they will be quite pleased by it. They will probably try to preserve it for a while by keeping it in a pot for some time. They may preserve it longer after following some tricks and tips. They may decide to preserve the flowers for ten more days, and may reach that goal. Eventually, those flowers will wither away. Unless, someone knows how to replant something. Unless, they follow a system.

The difference between the gift of a forest, and the gift of a bouquet is a system.

A quote by author James Clear comes to mind:

Goals are for people who care about winning once

Systems are for people who care about winning repeatedly.

We believe both mindsets are necessary, and it might be a wise thing to understand what the situation demands of us.

The choice is ours. Depending on the situation, we may decide if we want to invest in a bouquet or a forest. Short-term or long-term.

Winning over a client through some research about their preferences, their company- that is working towards a goal.

Brainstorming an idea with the team, and eventually concretizing the best idea- that is working towards a goal.

Starting a company of your own with its own operations and objectives, such that over time even people other than you, the founder may benefit through it, and be able to understand, follow and improve upon those operations and objectives- that is working up a system.

Starting a new department in a company, which takes into account the demands of the competition and that which also integrates the company’s objectives and culture- that is working up a system as well.

Goals are for the now, the immediate, the near future. They get completed. Objectives get accomplished.

Systems are built in the now and thrive through later; from the past, to the present, and for the future. They grow. They adapt. They live on.

Working on a goal, and working on a system, are both necessary. They both require different mindsets. Which of the two do we need to take up is a choice we can make. A choice that can make the kind of difference we want to make. Creating systems calls for choosing to create the forest; needing to do something now calls for the bouquet.

Do you Matter at your Workplace?

Feeling like one matters at work can help in stress-reduction, employee-retention and opportunities for growth.

Priyam has been working at his company for two years now. He is in-charge of the sanitation and cleanliness management staff at his office. Although he works in a corporate office, his is not your typical high-profile corporate job one would associate with power and prestige. The income is decent- not too high as compared to certain jobs. But he is happy at his job, and he likes going to work.

Prita has been working at a different company for two years now. She is in-charge of the marketing department at the company. A high-profile, high-power, high-earning job. Since she is in-charge, she often gets to delegate work, which also reduces her stress- and work- load by quite a lot. But she is not happy at her job, and she does not like going to work.

What is it that makes a difference to these two employees? Objectively, on paper, Prita should be the happier person. After all, she earns more, is on a more prestigious position conventionally speaking, and definitely is supposed to have more clout at the workplace. But why is it that the opposite is the case?

The answer is simple but profound- Priyam feels like he matters at work. Prita doesn’t feel like she matters at work.

Priyam’s company makes him feel that he matters at work. His job is not that high-stakes and high-profile- hid company won’t lose millions if she falters. But he nevertheless matters, and is made to feel that he matters. His boss Shweta routinely appreciates his work. She thanks him for the work he does at the company. He and his work are treated with respect. He gets opportunities- in fact, Priyam started out as a simple cleaning staff member, and eventually, rose to become the head of that department. His work might not be conventionally ‘high-profile’ but everyone in the company understands and respects the effort that goes behind keeping the office space clean, organised. Right from the handwashes in the bathroom, to the plates and cutlery in the kitchen, everything is in perfect order thanks to Pushpam and his team.

And everyone, especially Shweta understands this value that Priyam generates. More importantly, Shweta communicates this to Priyam. Priyam and his work matter. Priyam feels this way, and that makes him happy at his job.

Prita on the other hand feels like she doesn’t matter at her job. Her boss Anil, although appreciates Prita’s work and her team-management skills, he doesn’t communicate that. No matter how much of a success a project by Prita garners, she almost never gets a ‘good job’. It has been long since Prita has received any acknowledgement to her contributions to the company. A certificate perhaps, a token of appreciation, but that is it. Regular words and regular actions do not make Prita feel like she matters at work or what she does is appreciated. Since Anil is uncommunicative, Prita’s other colleagues reflect the same mindset- if the boss herself doesn’t say anything nice, they also don’t feel the need to appreciate Prita.

Prita wonders if she is doing something wrong, and if the certificates and tokens are just formalities. Her confidence levels have come down over the years at the company, despite being the head of a department herself. Prita feels this way, and that makes her unhappy at her job.

It is a simple matter of feeling like one matters at work.

As people working among a collective of professionals, whether we are employers, or colleagues, according to research by Psychology Today, making our employees or fellow co-workers feel mattered at work can contribute to their general well-being, job satisfaction, and lower chances of burnout, stress and anxiety. It can lead to one being happier in leadership positions. Moreover, it can also lead to higher employee retention.

So, what can we do to make our employees and/or co-workers feel like they matter at work? Simple things, such as:

  • Thanking people for their work. Acknowledge their efforts. Not just through tokens and certificates, but say it through your words and actions. Even simple recognition can go a long way.
  • Let people know you have belief in their capabilities. If you are at a mentorship position, you can also provide them opportunities to grow so that they realise that you genuinely care about them, and haven’t just hired them for convenience.
  • When you observe something remarkable about people, don’t simply keep it to yourself- make it known that you see what they are doing. If you are the boss, this acknowledgement will hold even more weight.
  • If you aren’t the boss, you can still tell someone how you appreciate their work, and if you have opportunity, you can bring it up in front of everyone, or at least communicate that to your boss.

At the core lies the fact that people who do the hard work should know that you see them.

Psychology and age-old wisdom say that, often the key to living a fulfilled life is not happiness. It is meaning. And the first step to finding meaning at work, is to feel that what we do matters. That what we do is a meaningful contribution to the fabric of our profession. When we find this meaning by feeling like the work we do matter, happiness soon enough, follows.

The Road to Hundred Medals

As the Indian contingent in the Asian Games hauls hundred medals for the first time in history, we look at some lessons this journey can teach us.

The Indian contingent at the Asian Games 2023 has hauled hundred medals for the first time! With the gold in women’s kabbadi, the medal count reached the grand hundred (and still counting!).

The victories come with lessons in attitude, discipline, sportsmanship and never giving up.

Getting up after the fall:

Sport is unpredictable, and it treats everyone equally: it doesn’t matter how experienced or inexperienced you are, the rules apply equally to everyone, everyone can make mistakes, everyone can reverse the mistakes and everyone is out there in the open to give their best. There was a point in the nail-biting final match between India and Chinese Taipei when an Indian player slipped and gave the opponents a two-point lead. But India bounced back and made history. The Indian player who slipped, and the team could have just thrown the towel and decided that it’s out of their hands now. They could have blamed each other and cried foul at the opponents.

 But their ‘antifragile’ attitude- learning from mistakes and using those to their advantage- made all the difference.

You will make mistakes, sometimes huge ones. You might fall, you might get knocked down in spite of all the preparation, experience and wisdom but the attitude lies in getting up after the fall.

Never Stop Playing:

Playing when the whole world is watching you can be daunting- every mistake you make is out there for everyone to see (and replay!). On the other end is the fact that you could give your best for years and still not get the credit due to you.

As the team gets its due recognition now, it is to be noted that this hasn’t always been the case. The women’s kabbadi team is a giant in the sport- in the previous editions of the games, it has consistently won medals, gold included, and yet most players remain unknown. A google search for them yields very few results as compared to many players of more ‘glamourous’ sports, or even male players of many other sports.

But does this lack of due recognition lead the team to stop playing? The Indian kabbadi captain Ritu Negi continues to lead the team. Pushpa Rani continues to be the all-rounder that she is. Pooja Hathwala continues to be a great raider.

The system might work against you, but as long as you know your worth, and continue to put up a fight, sooner or later, recognition will come. There might be a mellow show, or the show might not even be planned, but you must go on.

Nothing is Impossible:

A time-traveller might go back in time by a decade or two, and if they were to ask any random Indian if they think it is possible that India will ever win a hundred medals, the stranger might just laugh it off as impossible. Or they might say that if the events are just going to be of cricket, then yes, there was a possibility. Thinking about this three-digit medal haul was considered unrealistic at one point in very recent history.

Something that was deemed impossible and unrealistic has now been achieved thanks to an effort at the level of the collective- right from all the athletes of all the sports, to the system, to the administration and to the people for continuing to cheer the little wins. And how to forget the individual effort of the athletes? The individual athletes continued their ‘karma’, giving their best in whatever way possible. As the little wins over the years cumulated, the people and the system looked up and started to envision the possibilities.

Things might seem impossible, unrealistic and just unachievable. But does that mean we give up hope? Does that mean we should stop working towards anything worthwhile? Be it sports, or life outside of sports in the office, working on things that are under our control is always an option rather than to give up.

As our athletes at Hangzhou continue to give their best, and make dreams of billion come true with their hard work, we congratulate them on how far they have come. We thank them for teaching us lessons about determination, dreams and having confidence in competence.