Hard Work > Smart Work

I’m grappling with the idea of working hard vs. working smart. My current wrestling match began observing how training in sport has dramatically changed.  Most of this change has been positive- it’s hard to argue that athletes are not bigger, faster, stronger and more skilled than their counterparts from 20, 50, and 100 years ago. 

The sport I’m closest with is baseball.  The use of data and technology has exploded.  We know much more now about how to effectively and efficiently train baseball athletes.  With proper investment and research, coaches and trainers can develop athletes in a smarter way than ever before.  In our baseball program, we are training in a completely different manner than we did just a few years ago. 

Here’s the kicker, I’m not sure the changes we have made are completely for the better. 

Much like politics, extreme views have taken over.  For example, most of the sports science proves that running distance isn’t conducive to baseball skill development.  There are outspoken experts who will lambast any person or program for ever testing, say a timed mile.  Another popular ax to grind is bunting.  Statistics (mainly generated from the highest level of baseball) show that bunting isn’t the most effective use of the 27 outs allotted in a game.  Once again, there are vocal folks who remind the world of how “dumb” it is to bunt or even to learn to bunt.  There are those that will even go to extremes saying that coaches ruin kids careers by bunting instead of swinging away. 

It’s just not smart to invest time in bunting and running for distance.  Or is it?

In baseball, and many other sports, we are now using technology to aid with the development of young athletes.  It’s a much smarter way to invest their time, but I believe kids are missing out on some of the “dumb” things that teach powerful lessons as well. 

I’m not anti-technology, science or growth.  In fact, my personal life philosophy is based upon continuous improvement.  Continuous improvement requires curiosity and an obsession with doing things better.

However, I’m starting to believe that working hard, and “dumb” is a prerequisite for working smarter.  To stick with the baseball analogy, it’s silly for Mike Trout- one of the greatest of all time- to run a timed mile.  He’s at the razors edge of his talent.  But, is it wrong for a 15 year-old baseball player to run distance?  Is it possible that he might learn something in the stillness of the road?  Maybe it won’t help his explosiveness, but it could help benefit him way more than an increase in his vertical jump.  The same thing is true for a seasoned executive.  Answering emails and getting bogged down in the minutia are not a solid use of their time.  However, a younger employee may greatly benefit from some of these “inefficiencies.”   

Have we become so obsessed with life hacks that we are missing the beauty of the strenuous pursuit of achievement?  Shouldn’t we know the satisfaction of being on your hands and knees scrubbing the floor before hiring a cleaning service?  It’s not smart to spend a full day cleaning when our hourly worth may say we should invest the time elsewhere, but man can it be satisfying.

Is the most efficient way always the best?  I’m aware that you can get a good workout at 2pm or 6am.  But, are there more lessons packed into that early morning session? 

As I write, I’m starting to believe hard work must come first. Only after the “dumb” work can one get smart and begin optimizing. 

I have close friends that either have started a business or have advanced to high levels in their chosen field.  Every single person I am thinking of has put in the hours; ridiculously long hours, coupled equally with extreme sacrifice.  To a person, they each can look back and say they were inefficient in some area, but those grueling times are what made them.  It also gives them a capacity to understand, empathize with and ultimately be a better leader to those who are doing the grueling or tedious work.   

In the upcoming years, I think society will recalibrate itself. The pendulum has swung too far toward the idea of working smart and not hard.  Good, old fashioned sweat equity will be necessary for true success.   

So, the next time you see a kid sprinting hills in the neighborhood shout a word of encouragement instead of suggesting a more formal speed training program. 

The next time a young employee is the first in the office and the last to leave notice their commitment instead of explaining how he could do a lot of his tasks at home. 

The next time you see a high schooler shoveling the driveway so he could get some shots up acknowledge his industriousness instead of telling him it’s more productive to utilize the gym.

Work smarter later, for now just bust your tail.