What Is Working SMART?
Personally, professionally and organizationally, we all perform three roles: the producer, the manager and the leader.
Envision a team of explorers working their way through a jungle. The team can be divided into three categories.
The producers are the ones with the machetes cutting and hacking their way through the underbrush to clear the path.
The managers organize the effort by rotating crews to keep the fresh hackers in the front of the line while having their trailing teammates sharpen their machetes. They set the schedules, policies, procedures and develop incentives for rewarding the more productive hackers.
The leader finds a tall, sturdy tree and climbs to a vista. After surveying the landscape, she yells to the others “We’re in the wrong jungle!” Upon her descent, the efficient, incentive driven producers and managers respond “So what? We’re making great progress!
Therein lies the difference between working hard and working SMART. Understanding the difference between efficiency (doing things right) and effectiveness (doing the right things).
As organizations and individuals, we inherently direct our attention to producing and managing at the expense of leading. We can become trapped in efficient, yet often ineffective activities.
Working SMART is an empowered state of habitually and strategically achieving more goals, more often.
How many of the NOW column items apply to your situation? What would happen if you could instead move toward the right column? Might some of these issues present profitable opportunities for you?
How many of the NOW column items are true for you? How much more could you achieve as you realize your POTENTIAL?
Might some of these issues present profitable opportunities for you?
Now | Potential |
| Everyone’s busy | Everyone is measurably productive |
| Activity based thinking | Focus on Achievement. |
| People working for a paycheck | People committed to a purpose |
| Motivation needs improvement | Inspiration reigns |
| Knowing What and How | Committed to Why |
Win-Lose Discussions | Win-Win Agreements |
Another day, another dollar. Making Payroll. | What will we celebrate next? |
| Ideas exclusively originate from the top. | Creative solutions abound |
| “That will never work.” | “Let’s be the first to market.” |
| Delayed product/project launches | Completion on target. |
| Procrastination hinders decision making | Prioritized Action Plans |
| Cover your tail | Goal directed actions. |
| Mired in minutia | Ongoing Achievement |
| Dropping anchor | Oars in the water, committed to rowing in the right direction. |
| Growth reluctance due to internal limitations. | Continuous expansion of internal management competencies fuel more opportunities. |
| Reactive, order taking sales people. | Rainmaking with new and existing customers. |
| Management mostly working in the business | Leadership mostly working on the business |
| Playing the violin and the trumpet. | Conducting the symphony. |
| Reluctance to delegate | Cross training, learning, personal and professional growth. |
| Vacillation | Execution |
Contented Customers | Delighted customers |
Marginally Profitable | Market Dominance |
Working Hard | Working SMART |
How much more could you achieve as you realize your POTENTIAL?
Turning Your Potential into Performance
The transformation from the Now Column to the Potential Column atmosphere is a challenge for any organization to tackle. It requires (dare I suggest) leadership development that addresses three critical elements. >> read more >>
