Work SMARTER, not HARDER is an old adage that pre-dates the 9-5 workday! Seems like common sense, right? Don't attempt to answer this question if you're at the office from 6am-6pm! Working smarter has to do with efficiency and organization. The first step is to prioritize the tasks you MUST accomplish today. Everything on your desk doesn't need to be accomplished today. Some items warrant your immediate attention so it only makes sense to complete those items first, and then proceed to less-important items. The second step is to create an outline. I know, creating an outline conjures up very bad memories from 12th grade, but it really works. You don't want to repeat steps, duplicate the efforts of others, make mistakes or forget anything on your list of priorities. Our next step requires a little backbone! Learn to say NO. Sometimes, you just have to learn to say no to additional projects, filing, phone calls, and meetings if the items you're already responsible for are not completed. It's better to say "no" upfront, than to say "I'm sorry" when a project's deadline has already passed.
The last step is to evaluate your methods. By methods, I mean the methods used to accomplish each task. Streamline processes that appear to be taking the longest. Look at scheduling options to see if there's a better way to meet deadlines without being stressed. If you're not accomplishing as much as you'd like to by coming into the office at noon, try coming in around 10am to give yourself a little more time to complete immediate tasks and end the workday at a reasonable hour.
B-Smart!
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