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Are You Working Smart?

Smart phone, smart watch, smart home, smart fitness; the world is turning smart day by day. I lost track when did the word ‘smart’ which also had a not so positive meaning (As in he is acting smart) once, become a pride possession and a talking point.

Hard Work and Smart Work

“Hard work succeeds; smart work shines” so goes the introduction of a promotional mailer which landed in my inbox recently. The other day I was watching a tipper truck unloading a truck load of sand in a construction site. What would have been otherwise an overlong task involving labour and hoe was momentarily completed at the shift of a lever. Doesn’t this demonstrate the difference between smart work and hard work?

I tend to go a bit spiritual here. Lord Shiva and Parvathy once asked their sons, Ganesha and Skandha, to go around the earth. They offered a prize for the winner. Skandha’s vehicle was peacock which can fly. Ganesha’s vehicle, on the other hand, was a lazy rat. It was a foregone conclusion that Skandha will win the contest. But that was not to be....


Smart Work Follows Smart Thinking

To work smart, first you have to think smart. It is called out of the box thinking in the corporate parlance. Smart ideas emerge, once you start thinking differently. You may be labelled a rebel then, but don’t bother; sometimes ‘Daag bhi ache hote hai”. In badminton many such smart strategies are used to bet the opponent. Drops, smashes, drives are all to be played smartly thinking about the moves of the opponents.

Continuing with the epical story of Ganesha and Skandha from the previous para, Ganesha was willing to give a try, though the outcome was obvious. He had a smart idea. As soon as Skandha left on his world tour, Ganesha rose to his feet and went around his parents-Lord Shiva and Parvathy. He said “Parents you are the embodiments of the universe. Why go around the world, when you are present right here” Skandha succeeded, but Ganesha shined.


Is Working Smart Innovation?

Yes it is; but there’s more to it. When blind men encountered an elephant in the parable, they thought each organ of the elephant was elephant itself. They were right; but not fully. Similarly smart work combines innovation, right opportunity, apt technology and right focus. Individually these elements are not smart work. When India successfully launched its staggering cheap mars mission in 2013, everyone termed it a smart mission. The reason was simple, unlike the NASA’s MAVEN mission; India’s MOM had minimal payload but many comparable tasks. That was innovation with opportunity, technology and focus.

Technology and Smart Work

Technology and smart work are made for each other. Charity begins at home; so too the smart work. To quote a celebrity chef, “Smart products make things more efficient, more precise, and safer in our kitchens” Smart kitchen gadgets starts from a basic pressure cooker to those remote controlled devices.

Mentioning about the pressure cooker, I still remember my grandma’s kitchen. She used to stir the rice boiling in an open pot intermittently and squeeze a few grain to see if it is cooked. It used to be a ritual that lasted not less than an hour (Incidentally, we all are obsessed with Palakkadan matta boiled rice) but now with the smart cooking in place, rice cooking is just a matter of minutes.

Recently, I had paid a visit to my uncle. It was really thrilling after a long personal disconnect, thanks to the COVID-19 scare. I was a bit sceptical about going there in the early hours as that was the time for his customary morning walk. To my surprise he was at home then. Before I could ask whether he was skipping the morning walk that morning, I noticed the smart morning walker device beside him; a smart device which claims to provide the benefit of brisk walking at the convenience of home. The technology is acting smart isn’t it?


Conclusion

The debate on hard work and smart work is an ever hot topic. As a popular saying goes, hard work involves body; whereas smart work involves brain. Hard workers follow instruct whereas smart worker improvises. But once cannot just denounce hard work as negative and draining. For, hard work and strength of character are still upheld as virtues of success.


K.V. Murali Mohan

A passionate freelance writer and ardent communicator - Double Post Graduate in communication subjects -Recipient of Kulapati Gold Medal and TKM Rao award in Journalism - Credited with four decades of literary pursuit spanning over 300 plus articles in national and regional publications.

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