Most people believe that hard work will get you to where you need to be. However, hard work doesn't necessarily mean more work. Some people might think that taking on more tasks than normal will really help them stand out and get promoted. Doing more work is likely to make you tired, and the quality of that work might suffer. Instead, sometimes lightening your load is the answer. Here's how:
1. Determine what's most important.
Work smarter by eliminating unnecessary work from your plate. Then, you can focus on the bigger, more important projects that will get your boss's attention. Sit down and figure out what activities you do each day that really benefit your employer. Out of that smaller list, which ones do you enjoy most? Hopefully, there will be a few tasks that overlap. Those are the ones you should be focusing on.1 Next, write out tasks that seem mundane and don't entertain you, as well as ones that don't seem to contribute to the company. Those jobs are ones you should spend less time on. Spending time on them may just be a waste of your time. Discuss downgrading those projects with your manager to see if they agree. They may be impressed that your being this thoughtful about your workload and productivity.
2. Prioritize and delegate.
Once you know what's important compared to what's not, plan out how you'll spend more of your time on the important projects and less of it on the unnecessary stuff.2 Figure out whether those mundane tasks need to be done at all or if they can be delegated (handed off to someone else). This will free you up to concentrate your energy doing a better job on the most important tasks.
3. Be willing to get behind schedule.
Part of spending extra energy to make sure an important task is completed is making sure it's done right. This is your opportunity to shine. Finding a way to improve a process or do research to discover best practices can really help you stand out. Management is usually pretty aware of the top priorities for their company and if they see you spending extra time and energy to improve an essential task or process, it's likely to cause a favorable impression. If you're slightly behind schedule on an important task and a manager asks you why (or if you prepare them for it by explaining yourself ahead of time) they'll probably appreciate what you're trying to do.
Using these tips can help you work smarter not harder and stand out in your job performance. Good luck! Want to learn more about online healthcare degrees or all of UMA's healthcare programs? Click around. We have a lot to offer.
1. http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/248050
2. https://www.themuse.com/advice/your-3step-plan-to-do-less-at-work-but-make-an-even-bigger-impact