It is of utmost importance for a Team Leader to recognize the difference between working hard and working smart, not just for himself/herself, but also for those he/she leads. It is imperative that you lead your team members how to work smart right from the start.
Differentiating between working hard and working smart:
Here are “working hard’ habits that can prevent people from building a successful SFI business:
- They work hard throughout the day, but at the end of the day wonder if what they’ve done really made all that much of a difference.
- They work hard but don’t feel like they get the recognition that they deserve.
- They work tirelessly but it rarely feels like they accomplish much of anything.
- Their task list is endless and they often feel overwhelmed.
The effects of working hard can be profound: long hours, stress, anxiety, strained relationships, an unhealthy work/life balance, burnout, decreased productivity and dissatisfaction with their work in growing their SFI business.
Here are steps that you can do to work smarter in growing your SFI business:
- You need to have a plan.
Business plan, strategic marketing plan, etc. are essentials to work smarter in your SFI business. If you don’t have a plan or don’t plan your time, someone else will, and when that happens, you live life in a state of constant reaction. Having a plan or planning your time allows you to focus your attention on the important, not just on the urgent.
Planning your list of SFI activities can begin with a calendar, a day planner or a task manager. By prioritizing your list of SFI activities then blocking out time for those things that are most important to you, you begin to guard your time for activities that have a high impact for your SFI business. Work/ life balance means that you must also be intentional about planning time for your families and for your relationships then sticking to the plan.
- Make a list of your priorities.
Energy spent doing tasks that have little impact is a recipe for failure. It’s easy to get caught up in routine tasks that minimize our ability. You should consider which tasks you spend time on regularly and then weigh their impact. If the impact is minimal, or if they distract you from things that will have a greater impact, you should consider whether there’s a way to automate them.
Working smart means;
1. Focussing only on the tasks that bring the biggest long-term impact of your SFI business.
2. Knowing your desired final outcome and have a clear picture of what you really want with your SFI business.
3. Finding out a way how to achieve that with the least amount of effort possible in a legal and moral way.
4. Don’t just work hard; know what you’re working hard for.
5. Always think, and listen to yourself before you act.
- Focus on your short-term and long-term perspective.
Working smart means, focussing on both of your short-term and long-term perspective of your SFI business. Smart people always ask themselves what kind of long-term consequences each action they take will have on their SFI business. They never fail to consider where their decisions are taking them in the long-term and whether the chosen path leads to unfair advantages and superior positions in the future of their SFI business.
If you want to work smarter, consider the following points;
1. You always need to have a long-term perspective in mind. You must resist instant gratification, especially when it comes to spending your resources. Many times, sacrificing instant gain is the best way for an unfair position in the long run.
2. Working smart means that you have to build first a strong foundation of your SFI business. That’s why; you should start with the SFI BASICS and LAUNCHPAD, and then consistently follow your goals day by day. You don’t look for overnight success that would be built on fragile or questionable foundations. You always pay attention to strong foundations, however with smart work you always think about how to achieve your goals as fast as possible in a healthy way.
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