By Ladi Ayodeji
As we round-up this series, let me remind you that we are living in a smart generation. Hard work is still a virtue, smart work is far better because it delivers better results. Being smart, in this context, is not being crooked, as some think. I’m using this word in a positive light. You have to be smart to succeed in any sphere of life today, including business, moreso, when you are just starting.
Living smart is now the name of the game and it goes beyond being hip. All around you, all you see are smart things. Smart phones, smart bombs being dropped on terrorists in theatres of war, smart technologies that produce incredible devices. You may be amazed to realise that smart people make all the money, get all the accolades and whatever benefits there are, while simple, ordinary folks who do all the hard work get little or nothing in return.
It has been like that ever since brain overcame brawn, when knowledge gained ascending over raw power, and it became an accepted maxim that “knowledge is power.” That’s not saying that “hard work” doesn’t pay, it’s just that smart work pays better.
In the workplace, the ergonomics is enjoyed more by the knowledge or smart workers, than the hard workers. While the chief executive and other top executives are ensconced in their air-conditioned offices, staring at their laptops, and punching smart phones, the factory workers are on the warehouse floor sweating it out. While the factory worker gets a meager, hourly or daily pay, the knowledge worker gets the huge pay cheque with all the fat benefits.
When you decide to become an employer, you make a bold statement that you are smart enough to employ yourself and others. It is an audacious declaration that you are wise and strong enough to be a leader. This kind of assignment comes with a load of responsibilities. And, you have to be smart to succeed.
There are many sides to being smart. You need what I call the anointing for speed. Remember, in this era, speed and accuracy count. You have to be sharp, tech-savvy and agile. You need all these to deliver goods and services, especially as someone just starting.
Hard work still pays good dividends. So, more than your employees, you should work hard at your own job to show an example to others. No one keeps a lazy worker. Encourage those who work hard, especially if they perform more than paid for; such workers are a treasure to any organisation. Keep them by all means. However, train them to be smart, even when they are blue-collar workers.
A driver can become smart by training. In a crime-infested metropolis, mobile criminals like kidnapers, armed robbers, etc, are often on the trail of drivers of expensive vehicles. A driver has to be sharp, alert, skillful, fast, circumspect and, therefore, smart, to be able to evade such potentially violent fortune hunters.
Training makes animals like guard dogs, cats, horses, etc, function in special roles. It is so with us humans. A well-trained househelp, gatekeeper and other domestic workers could be trained to become smart enough to handle any kind of visitor, either wanted or unwanted.
When security personnel are well trained, they learn to smell danger, like attack dogs, which sniff prohibited substances. Being smart is not a function of genius or talent alone, good training can help. Even geniuses still need to be groomed to function at their best.
An employer coming into a new business must learn to optimize service delivery in smarter ways that would beat competitors hands down. That’s the easiest way to gain a market in a highly competitive environment. Don’t be afraid to innovate. You can slay the goliaths in your industry, if you play smart.
There’s a product called 3-in-one because it has coffee, sugar and milk, all in one pack. It saves buyers the triple expense of buying these items separately. So, from the blast, 3-in-one is a winner in the new market segment it created. You, too, can create a smart product.
The signature of this generation is the smart way of doing things. You must reflect that in your business. Be very creative; employ resourceful workers who can fly ideas that are stunning, but viable. Military commanders know that if they want to hit a target and can’t afford the luxury of a miss, they get their sharp-shooters.
When recruiting, look for smart workers. You’d need them for the tight occasions, when the only option you have is to fight, not take a flight. Such workers are an invaluable asset to any organisation. They are so indispensible that their input could make a difference to your profit margin.
It should not, by any means, be misunderstood that physical strength is not important. Nothing happens without power, even knowledge workers only exhibit brainpower. The point being made is that everyone needs to work smart to deliver optimally in their field.
We cannot undermine labourers because they are vital to the service value chain; they are very important, otherwise we won’t have cranes, forklifts, caterpillars and other power vehicles and machines that have replaced physical labour at the highest levels.
WEEKEND SPICE: “There are thousands of excuses for failure but never a good reason.” – Mark Twain.
OK, folks, have a nice weekend and stay motivated.
•Ladi Ayodeji is an Author, Rights Activist, Pastor and Life Coach. He can be reached on 09059243004 (SMS and Whatsapp only).
Reproduced from Sun Newspaper.
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