Lies - Hard Work is the Key - DBR 013
Episode 13
This is one of a set of posts on common misconceptions about productivity and work. I call them Lies About Productivity. I'll address some 'lie' and suggest a new mindset that is helpful toward being effective, not exhausted - Do Busy Right.
The Lie: You should equate working hard to being productive. Or that work should be hard in order to be valuable. At a minimum, we need to redefine the word ‘hard’ in this context. 'Hard' is too vague to be useful and to negative to be helpful.
The problem of not thinking beyond 'hard':
- I don’t think ‘hard’ is necessary and it’s clearly not good for us
- Value proposition to the world (no source, sorry)
- Value proposition to the world
- General value proposition
- Adding, believing, or relying on: I’m a hard worker
- Cultural norms around hard work (legend: both forward and backward)
- Historical notion of ‘hard work’ – based on physical labor
- Even religious notions of ‘hard work’ – protestant work ethic
- Self-talk and ‘hard’ – why pick ‘hard’ it’s too vague to be helpful and too negative to be encouraging
- Taking aim at the legend and the lore around ‘hard’ work
Think about things that ‘hard’ is not – we can pull them out of our definition
- 'Hard' (‘many hours’, thinking thoroughly, facing frustrations, etc.) ‘lots to do’ (Attention Compass)
- 'Hard' more valuable - flow state is effortless
- 'Hard' probability of failure (Made shot vs. missed shot)
- 'Hard' ‘expert level’ - Experts don’t find their work ‘hard’
- My bass example of expertise - chunking
- In fact, some things get so well-ingrained that I do them too often
- Excel example – more blocks, chunks
Symptoms
- Symptom: the trap of increasing hours
- Trap
- Corollary – harvest part of the value of your own growth
- MBA example of value sharing
- Symptom: we don’t define our availability and response levels
- Symptom: over-producing quality
- Symptom: vague value proposition
- Symptom: mediocre performance
- Symptom: imposter syndrome
- Symptom: everything becomes hard
New mindset
- The new mindset – work should be a joy – creating beauty or good
- The new mindset – we develop greater patience with ourselves
- Bass example – creating beauty or good
- The Gap and the Gain
- Focus on the gap during PRACTICE and the gain during PERFORMANCE
- Hard work is not a moral imperative
- We’re not doing physical labor – we’re not doing brain surgery
Results
- Result one – redefine the value proposition
- Result two – sense of craftsmanship, of expertise
- Crawford and craftsmanship – physicality vs. visibility
- Craftsmanship gets lost if it’s hard
Tools
- Tool one – value proposition is a tool, make sure it includes some things that you enjoy
- Tool two – practice your skills, so you see yourself getting better (or easier)
- Tool three – grow your confidence
- Not the weak, abstract confidence, but specific and concrete
- Tool four – use your words more precisely
We hear over and over again that hard work is the key to success. I just don't think that is useful advice. It's not nearly precise enough, thoughtful enough. I'm not saying that the key to success is sitting, doing nothing; I believe in diligence and engagement. Nor am I saying that work is easy (although it can and should normally be calm, meaningful, and joyful); that's no more helpful or precise than 'hard'.
I'm saying to understand what is challenging about your specific work task: too routine/boring, frustrating, many things to consider, needs deep focus, etc. Name that thing and acknowledge it. This will lead to
Published on 1 year, 8 months ago