Working Harder vs. Smarter

Ditch digging is pretty repetitive. It's the kind of work that requires you to just put in the time. Maybe you can dig a little faster, but there aren't really any hacks around pushing your shovel into the dirt and moving another scoop.

Knowledge work is different, but on the surface, it looks similar: You can only answer those customer service emails so quickly.

This is where hustle culture comes from. Work harder, put in more hours, and the rewards will soon pile up.

But what happens if you can solve the issue that led to all those customer service emails in the first place? Or create a portal that lets customers address common issues on their own?

Suddenly, you've got the same results in a fraction of the time.

If you spend your entire day digging ditches as fast as possible, you'll never have time to invent the backhoe.