Make More of Your Job

Every Day is a Job Interview

Perhaps the best advice I received early on in my career was to think of every day at work like a job interview. I still run into instances today where I know this advice can be put to use in other people's careers.

A majority of the time, I take a suburban commuter train to my office in downtown Chicago.  Because these commuter trains run on a consistent schedule, you end up seeing the same group of people day in and day out on your train.  Over time, I’ve gotten to know a few of the passengers I ride with. One of the passengers on my train is a nice young guy, probably early 20s. Let’s call him "Joe." Occasionally, Joe and I end up on the same car and converse casually about current events and the like.  We don’t speak extensively about work, but we’ve talked enough for me to know that he’s an entry-level securities analyst for one of the larger firms here in Chicago.

He’s had the job for a little over a year, and in that time I’ve seen quite a change in Joe, and not for the better.  The funny thing is, his attitude hasn’t changed much at all. He still goes to work early, is always upbeat and generally energetic.  What has changed, and quite dramatically, is his appearance.

When I think back to the first few times I spoke with Joe, he was always well put together in a suit and tie.  This was around the time he started with his firm and it appeared he was doing his best to send a message to his employers that he was professional.  Over time, however, Joe lost the tie, then the suit altogether, and now it often looks like his shirts aren’t even ironed.

I don’t get the sense that he’s disillusioned with his job, but I definitely get the sense that he’s comfortable. That can be very dangerous.  One day last week, I ran into Joe on the train and he hadn’t even bothered to shave that day.  We have a lighthearted rapport, so I joked with him and asked if he had a rough night. 

To that, he said, “No, I never drink on a work night, but it’s not like I’m going on a date. Who do I have to impress?”

His nonchalant reply struck me. The truth is, if you’re trying to make the most of your job, you have everyone to impress. From the second you arrive at the office until the moment you leave at night, you are constantly being assessed by your peers and superiors. You never know who might notice your work ethic, behavior or even your appearance.  Despite seeming like a model employee, the fact that Joe implying that he doesn't need to appear professional for his role may end up hurting him in the long run. Especially in big firms where the higher-ups don’t even know everyone’s names, it can’t hurt to make the extra effort to be noticed and send the message that you are a consummate professional.

This was a golden opportunity for me to pass on the same advice I had been given at the same time in my career. I told him to think of his appearance as part of his everyday job interview and that he might want to consider picking the up the razor each morning. Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly no fashion plate myself, and I know that dress codes do vary widely depending on the office environment. But putting on a tie, a belt and a matching pair of socks, and shaving my face every day is the least I can do to show respect to the job and company that I love. Though I have my on days and off days like everyone else, I always try to treat my job like an ongoing interview and send the message every day that I am deeply committed to what I do.

I haven’t run into Joe again since our chat on the train, but I'm curious to see next time if he took any of my comments to heart.  If nothing else, it reminded me of how important the messages we send to others can be in our careers.  Just the simple process of thinking about these messages can help us to find ways to make the most of our jobs every day.

It’s not about being perfect. It’s about demonstrating your commitment through actions, appearance and attitude.  If you do that day after day, you will be noticed and rewarded.

Follow the Unwritten Rules

When I was just starting out in my career, I always appreciated a wide amount of latitude when it came to decision making.  For me to be at my best, it was important that I have the broad authority to determine the direction of my own career, and too many rules and regulations would have made that journey more difficult. We all value having the freedom to make the choices we want in our lives and careers, but to borrow the common phrase, with great freedom comes great responsibility.

Let's say that a law was made that strictly forbade anyone from punching each other. However, no other laws were written that forbade kicking, though kicking was still considered poor form by society. Would we all go around kicking each other to get our points across without getting in trouble with the law? Most likely not.

We all know the difference between right and wrong, and we have to acknowledge that there are "unwritten" rules that we must decide whether or not to follow. When making decisions, we also have to consider the spirit behind the rule’s creation in the first place.  In our punching/kicking example, the rule was probably brought about in the spirit of diminishing violence. Simply switching to kicking, while technically not against the rules, was contrary to the spirit of the rule itself.

This principle applies to decision making at work, as well. Good companies value their employees' opinions and stylistic differences. Otherwise, companies would never evolve and grow. If you're lucky enough to work for one of these companies, there probably aren’t a million rigid rules in place that dictate your every move.  However, some companies are forced to clamp down on their employees simply because a select few misbehave (and, in some cases, behave illegally) when given too much slack.  Unfortunately, a few bad apples can ruin the whole bushel.

Now that I am an employer, I struggle with this same issue every day.  While I want to provide as fluid an environment as possible for my employees (I owe them the same respect I desired when I always had to follow someone else's rules), I also want to make sure that the company's best interests are protected.  I am constantly walking the fine line between giving my employees too much freedom and too many rules. Straying too far in one direction or the other can result in a chaotic atmosphere or a stifled one. I've found the key to striking the perfect balance with established rules is asking that employees learn to follow the unwritten rules of the organization, as well.

When explaining this to my employees, I give them a few examples:

• Employee A's company allows him to expense $20 for dinner while traveling and he only spends $9. When filing his expense report, he knows that he can take the maximum $20 without being questioned, so he does. The rule is in place to make sure your costs while on the job are covered, not to award you an extra $11 because you were thrifty.
• Employee B's company requires that she give a month's advance notice to take a vacation. She knows about her upcoming vacation three months in advance. She waits to file the request for her vacation until the 30-day mark anyway.

Though both examples show employees who were technically following the rules, they weren't acting in the best interests of the company. Employee A should realize that his company's rules are in place to make sure his costs while on the job are covered, not to award him an extra $11 because he was thrifty. Employee B should realize that it is beneficial to her company to let them know as far in advance as possible of her absence in order to make more informed decisions about what to do without her. To refer to my first example, the employees were asked not to punch, and they didn't. But by not following unwritten rules, they are still doing what the kickers would do.

Every one of us needs to do our part to help ensure that our company keeps the rules loose, but that means requires that we're all making consistently productive decisions.  The best unwritten rule you can follow is this: when making any decision, behave as though the company’s money and time is your own.  If your choices are made with respect for the company and ownership of your actions, it will show.  Not only will it help your company from throwing a new 30-pound rule book at you every year, but it will earn you a reputation as honest, thoughtful and trustworthy.  That’s precisely the reputation you’ll need to make the most of your career.

Quit Playing Games

Do you really want to move up in the corporate world?  If so you’re going to have to make the commitment to literally quit playing games.

As a manager, I like a good video game, or stock price, or forwarded email as much as the next guy. But chances are most workers letting these digital distractions sap their productivity.  I am often surprised by the brazen openness with which people sit at their well-paid corporate gigs and openly waste the company’s time on Instant Messenger or MySpace.

Your company pays you to act in ways that advance the bottom line, and with very few exceptions, futzing around on the internet probably isn’t one of them.  I get it, if you want to read a funny email or two or play a quick round of an online game during a quick break, it’s probably not the end of the world.  But for many of the workers in today’s offices, these digital distractions are not a mere diversion attended to for a handful of moments each day. They are chronic time-wasters that add up to hours of wasted potential.

You know which category you fall into.  Do you watch that latest YouTube video every once in a while, or are you the guy who has IM open all day long?  If it’s the latter, don’t be shocked if you’re sitting in the same dead end job 15 years from now (if you even have a job at all).

Wasting time on the internet isn’t just about wasting time, it’s about respect.  When you are sitting at your desk, most likely within view of coworkers, clicking away at your iTunes, you’re sending a strong message that your work is unimportant or boring to you.  Again, if you’re the type who only logs on to chat when you’re really out of work for the moment it’s probably not a huge problem (though, if I were your manager, I'd love it if you asked me for more work). But if you’re wasting time entertaining yourself and you have work that isn’t done, you might as well be screaming “Screw you!” to the entire company.

If you’re one of those people who is wasting a lot of time on digital distractions, and you know who you are, be warned that you're probably not as fast at minimizing those distractions when your coworkers walk by as you think you are. In my experience, trying to minimize your digital distractions before you are seen is the biggest career limiter of all.  As an employer, when you quickly minimize your screen as I walk by it tells me one of two things:

• You were wasting time, not taking a break from work that you've completed.
• You might have been doing something inappropriate or offensive.

By trying to minimize the screen you are showing that you know what you were doing was wrong, but you did it anyway. If you're that willing to demonstrate to others that you're doing things that might be damaging to your company's bottom line, and that easily caught by your coworkers, you're probably wasting more time and money than any manager would like to know.

So think about it, if you’re distracting yourself more than you’re actually working you need to ask yourself some tough questions.

• Am I bored by my job?
• Do I have poor work ethic? 
• Can I reduce the distractions that keep me from being productive? If so, how can I reduce those distractions?

At the end of the day, admitting you have a problem might be just what you need to improve, or if you even want to improve. For me, the bottom line is simple: if you expect me to increase your compensation or give you a promotion, quit playing games.

Declare Independence at Work

In honor of this Independence Day week, I decided to focus this entry on creating ways to become more independent at work.  If you’re looking for a raise or promotion, it’s important that your employer sees you as someone who can add value on your own at all times.  In order to do this you need to display independent thinking and proactive behavior.  All employees should be able to get their basic job done, but great employees should be able to address deeper problems and optimize their ROI (return on investments) to the company at all times.  Here are some ideas for adding that kind of independence to your resume:

• Never ask a question without a proposed solution – A common complaint from managers is that their employees ask them too many questions that have readily available answers.  Falling into this category will guarantee that you appear dependant and unmotivated to your boss.  Every time a question comes up, or a problem needs solving, research the issues before you bring it to your manager.  Come up with the best solution you can and then speak with your manager.  When you’re able to say “Here’s the problem and I think what I should do is _____. Is that what you’d do?", it shows that you’ve put in the time and thought even if you’re solution isn’t perfect.  This will help your employer see you as proactive and interested in growth.
• Always stay active – Just because your boss hasn’t given you an assignment doesn’t mean you should be sitting at your desk twiddling your thumbs or surfing the internet.  Keep a checklist of all of the activities you perform for the company and when you have down time look over the list to find something to do.  As a manager, when an employee comes into my office and says “I was finished with my other work early, so I went ahead and prepared ______,” it always makes me smile.  It’s a great way to prove you’re committed to delivering value for the firm.  If all else fails and you can’t come up with anything to do, just ask.  Chances are your employer will be pleasantly surprised by the extra help.
• Provide suggestions for improving the business – Once or twice a quarter, hand your boss a written sheet with a couple of suggestions for how to improve the productivity of the business.  These ideas should not be about how to improve your life, but how to drive profits, save time or reduce expense.  Don’t limit your observations to your role, but make suggestions about any area you think the company could get better.  This will prove that you care about the company’s best interests and are constantly thinking about ways to make it a better organization.  Make sure you stay humble with your suggestions, since you may be commenting on other departments. However, you're well within your bounds as an employee and steward of the company if you make an informed suggestion that could improve the business in the long run.

You Can't Please Everyone All the Time

Whatever happened to the time when professionals were expected to be scrappy and tough, the days when people weren’t afraid to make a strong statement if the well-being of the company was on the line?  It seems like everywhere you turn today, you find employees who have become so committed to being liked that no one is worried about running a business anymore. 

I understand completely the necessity for a certain level of political correctness in the workplace.  I believe, personally, that there is no more effective environment than one filled with a diversity of opinions and mutual respect.  When you’re surrounded by many people who are entirely different from you, it’s impossible not to learn, which is great for business.  It’s also true that with this diversity, it is vital to have a few ground rules to ensure that no one feels undermined or discriminated against. 

Today’s workplace, however, has taken things way too far.  When run-of-the-mill conflict can’t occur because people feel threatened, basic candor gets thrown out so as not to offend. How is any business actually getting done? As I've said before, communicating differences with respect and tact is essential. But if I'm faced with making a business decision that irritates a few folks, I’m going to make the choice I get paid to make: to act in my company's best interests.

When it comes to making business decisions, the old saying is true: you can please everyone some of the time or some people all the time, but you can’t please everyone all the time.  Every time you make a tough decision about your company's best interests, someone is not going to like it.  Good businesspeople are paid to make tough decisions. Without them, your company will flounder.  Tough decisions require brutal honesty, uncomfortable dialogue and oftentimes the rejection of somebody’s ideas.  If you’re spending your days trying not to rock the boat, you’re wasting your company’s time.  Without the willingness to make a difficult statement or decision when required, it’s impossible to act in the best interest of the business.

If you're looking to be a great leader, it's impossible to do so without ruffling a few feathers every now and then.  Everybody wants to be liked, but if someone can’t respect you simply because you're doing your job, you shouldn’t really care about their opinion to begin with.  If someone gets hurt every time you act in opposition to their interests, they probably aren’t cut out for the business world.  Be a good friend and help them find a career that doesn't challenge them.

We should all work on being more tolerant and respectful of diverse opinions and styles, but the next time you find yourself hesitating to act in the interest of your company because you don’t want anyone to get upset, throw some cold water in your face and get back to reality.  Great businesses require great leaders who make difficult choices.  Difficult choices are always met with disapproval from someone.  If you find yourself in the position of never having to make a tough call at work, you’re either in a dead end job or a dead end company.  For the rest of us, we will just have to accept that, if striving for greatness in our careers leads to upsetting a few people along the way, so be it. 

It's Not Fair!

When you were younger, did you ever tell an adult that something wasn’t fair, only to receive the response "Well, life isn't fair"?  Well, they were right. It’s true, fairness has never been an integral part of life. In fact, it’s that complete lack of fairness that allows each of us to strategize and make what we want to of our lives.

The raw materials you start your life with are a cosmic crap shoot.  The fact that I was born in a free, capitalist society with access to education and opportunities isn’t fair.  Millions, if not billions, in the world aren't so lucky.  Similarly, there’s someone smarter than me that hasn’t achieved the same amount of career success that I have.  Again, not so fair. 

This might seem like a depressing concept, but by embracing the universe’s lack of fairness, we are forced to move towards a far more powerful truth: while the world isn’t fair, it does give us clear guidelines and rules to work with. If you focus on the fact that the rules are not fair, you’ll spend your time complaining at the bottom of the heap.  Let’s take a look at a few of the rules that aren’t fair, but are clear:

• Marketing matters – In today's corporate society, it’s not enough to do good work. You must get credit for the work you do or else you'll never move up.  This means that you have to subtly master the art of marketing your own success.  If the world was fair, this wouldn’t matter - we’d all be judged by our accomplishments. But the grim reality is that if you don’t market your accomplishments, someone will market them as theirs.  Chances are, they’ll get the raise or promotion before you do.
• Money talks – If you’re in a job that’s not directly tied to your company’s revenue stream, you’d better figure out exactly where and how you can add value.  It’s unfair that salespeople often get paid more for the same amount of work as non-sales employees. That's only because the company knows exactly how their sales force impacts the bottom line.  Find a way to make your value known and look for ways to increase revenue or decrease cost. It’s the only way to level the playing field.
• If you’re not pretty, get smart – Sad, but true - people judge by appearances.  It’s an ugly fact of human nature.  Those of us that weren’t born with the beauty genes have to work extra hard at being smart in order to make strong impressions. Inform yourself, read, grow, do everything you can. There's just as much upkeep involved as staying pretty - it’s work, but worth it. Unlike beauty, intelligence doesn’t fade with age. The earlier you level the playing field, the better.
• If people dislike you, it’s over – It doesn’t matter how smart, confident or capable you are. People want to be around people they like, so you can bet this will come into play when the promotions are doled out.  If you keep telling yourself that your work speaks for itself, you’re wrong.  All of us that want to go far have to work on having a decent personality, and contrary to what a lot of complainers say, it is something you can develop if you want to.

So there it is - the raw, “unfair” truth, but it would be tough to argue that those aren’t followed by a majority of the corporate world. It's these subjective rules that drive us to excel in our lives and differentiate ourselves from others. If things were always fair, everyone would be treated the same, which would make every one of us average.  If that’s what you’re looking for, you had better find one of the dwindling locales where socialism is still all the rage.  For the rest of us, take these "unfair" rules and run with them. Now matter how unfair it is, you will always have the chance to beat the system.

Office Conflict: The Power of Counting to Ten

When I was a kid, my Mom used to tell me to count to ten if I ever got really angry.  At the time, it seemed like the kind of foolish advice only a parent could give. As an adult, I’ve now learned the power of counting to ten.

As an employee in today’s corporate workplace, there's no doubt that you’ll get into a few skirmishes with your co-workers or superiors during your tenure. The question is how you’ll handle yourself when those situations arise.  When it comes to conflict, there are really only two kinds of people in this world: those who allow conflict to show them in their worst possible light, and those who refuse to allow conflict to mitigate their character.  In my own experience, I've learned that you can avoid becoming the former by taking time to think before you respond during a heightened emotional conflict.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with conflict in the office. In fact, I'd even argue that some conflict may be necessary while you move your career forward. But the type and duration of the conflict can make an enormous difference.  You want people to know that you’re passionate and fiercely committed to your beliefs and that you’ll stand up for those beliefs if pushed to the brink. At the same time, you can’t afford to become known as someone who deals in cheap shots or personal attacks. As human beings, we all have the tendency to say things in the heat of the moment that we’d never say when our tempers or emotions are getting the best of us.  That’s why it’s so important to take a step back, whether it's ten seconds or ten minutes, in order to avoid saying something disastrous.

Unfortunately, the omnipresence of technology in our lives has upped the ante when dealing with office conflict.  With the advent of email, research shows that more and more interpersonal office skirmishes are occurring in writing.  Since you don’t have to say it to the person’s face, writing out what you really think seems easier over email.  It’s amazing how brave (or aggressive) we become with a little digital distance between each other.  The problem is that once the comment is made, you just can’t take it back.   

This is where counting to ten, whether literally or figuratively, is so important in any office conflict. Though it is tempting to have a false sense of bravado when engaging in email conflict, it's best that you take a step back from the conversation for a brief amount of time to gather your thoughts.  If you have a tendency to be a belligerent emailer, you may also want to print out a copy of your email before you send it. Read the email back to yourself and try to consider how you would react to it if you were in the recipient’s shoes.  Additionally, never put in an addressee in the “to” line until you’re sure the email is safe. When all else fails, stop writing emails and pick up the phone. You’re much more likely to respond like a decent human being.

Occasionally someone will get impatient with your momentary silence and will say something like “Well, what do you have to say?” I find that responding “I’m thinking about how to put this” generally buys you all the time you will need.  Engaging your controlled and logical mind by taking a beat also helps you back out of your heightened emotional state, ensuring that your comments are about communicating and not attacking or defending.  Controlling yourself in such conflict can be difficult, but it can be done with work and patience.

Conflict happens, but how it is dealt with can lead to either progress or disaster.  Don’t be afraid to count to ten and run what you’re about to say through your head once to make sure it’s a productive comment and not just a hasty attack.  I’ve tried this countless times in the past few years, and as silly as it sounds, it really works. If you really care about making the most of your job…the next time you get into a battle at work, count to ten or put a little distance between you and the situation before your formulate a response.

Change Your Office Hours

I speak to a lot of people who are confused about why they haven’t been noticed by the higher-ups, or have even been passed up for a promotion or raise.  Every time I’m engaged in this conversation I ask the same question -- “What are your hours?"

Back in the day, the concept of 9 to 5 was the norm, where people punched in, worked their 8 hours and went home. However, that concept hasn’t been the norm for a while. The 80’s and 90’s ushered in the concept that if you weren’t working 60+ hours, you didn’t care about your job. But that idea too seems to be passé.  Today, technological innovation has swung the pendulum back the other way by creating an era of “out of office” working that is as ludicrous as it sounds.

It’s no surprise that rush hour commutes have become 3 hours long when you take a look at how much time people actually spend at the office.  So many modern workers are “telecommuting” or “working from home” that these days that it seems like no one shows up to the office at all.  If working at home worked was as productive as coming to the office and helped me avoid traffic, I’d be the first one to jump on the band wagon. But the problem is, there isn’t much evidence  that “working from home” or “virtual officing” is even close to as effective as showing up at the office.

I’m a pretty driven person - I run several businesses, both corporate and private, and over 600 people count on me to provide them employment and guidance. Despite my determination and drive, I’m the first to admit that if I’m working from my kitchen, I’m probably not as productive as I am in the office.  When I’m in the office, I’m more likely to be focused and committed. There’s no doorbell or TV or pantry to distract me.  More importantly, I’m surrounded by my contemporaries, who stimulate and challenge me to give my work my all.  So why is working at home so popular?  Because it’s a major excuse not to work at all.

If you don’t love your job, working at home may sound like a godsend.  You can seem connected with email, but don’t have to actually do much of anything.  While that might sound fine for a while, it can only lead to a dead end.

If you’re really serious about moving your career up the food chain, quit working from home.  In order to grow and develop as an individual you will need constant access to and input from your co-workers.  The old saying “out of sight, out of mind” is also a powerful truth when it comes to upward corporate mobility.  Even if you’re one of the extremely rare individuals who can work remotely and be productive, you still aren’t around to be seen and heard by your superiors. 

If you’re a skilled and inspirational employee, working from home mitigates your ability to be a positive influence on the office environment (and thereby on the company as a whole) as your co-workers aren’t near you to feed off of your energy.  Just because you have access to email doesn’t mean you’re delivering all of the value you have to offer.

If you really want to do what’s best for your company, and your career, take of your slippers and head into the office!

Conflict With Your Peers? Get to Know Them

We spend a lot of time talking about finding a job that you can be passionate about on this blog.  What if you’ve got a job that you’re passionate about, at a company you love, but you can’t seem to get along with your peers? The best advice I’ve got for you may sound counterintuitive: start spending more time with them.

In business, many of us compartmentalize our emotions and dehumanize our actions by telling ourselves things like “it’s just business” or “it isn’t personal," but when conflict arises, it’s always an emotional process.  Passionate people believe strongly in their opinions and ideas, and when they run into people who don’t feel the same way, things can get a little bit messy.

I’ve been in plenty of meetings in my life where otherwise kind and courteous people treat each other like a pack of wild animals -- hollering, arguing and attacking one another in an effort to assert dominance or advance their agenda.  These same people would never treat someone in their personal lives in such a manner, but they’ve convinced themselves that “it’s just business” and “it isn’t personal."

If you work with someone who operates like this, or if you operate like this yourself, the best way to find common ground is to remember that we are all human, with feelings and emotions, passions and desires.  I've touched upon this briefly before, and it bears repeating. Once you realize the person across the bargaining table feels just as strongly about her opinion (and probably has a good reason to), it’s tougher to be aggressive and argumentative and easier to understand where she's coming from. Likewise, if your co-workers see you as a whole being rather than as a wall they need to break down, the process of debate will be much more civilized and productive.

The best way to “humanize” your workplace is to start getting to know the people you most commonly find yourself in conflict with.  If you always get into debates with the same peer, invite him out to lunch and find out a little bit about his life outside the office.  You’ll be amazed how much getting to know someone can impact the way you interact when back on the job.  You may find you still can’t agree at the office, but you’ll see that person as more than just her ideas or behaviors and the process of finding common ground will become much simpler.

Not sure how to start the process of getting to know your office foes?  Try honesty.  Chances are, if you just say “We seem to get our horns locked a lot around the office. I’d like to get to know you a little bit so things might be a little easier between us," it's very likely your invitation will be accepted.  It’s one small step on the way to creating the work environment you wish for, and it’s something you can do today.  So what are you waiting for?

Working Smart, Working Hard

In the past few years, there has been a lot of attention paid to the concept of working smarter rather than working harder.  Unfortunately, as with many workplace trends, the pendulum seems to have swung a bit too far towards "smarter" and we’ve started to miss the forest for the trees.  I think it’s time to remind ourselves that we can work smart and still work hard.

Let’s say you have a job where you need to stack ten piles of wood a day in order to get paid.  The "work smart" strategy would tell you that it was worth your time to carefully stack your wood, make sure the piles each met your employment criteria and to do the work at a pace you could sustain.  In this example, running back and forth from pile to pile quickly might get the job done, but you could just as easily become worn out or injured.  By taking the time to create a system, you might be able to work out a system that would allow you to stack all ten piles in half the time. That would be working smarter; the question is, however, would that be working harder?

In our all-consuming quest to work smart we seem to have forgotten that if we can find a way to stack that wood in half the time, a good, committed employee would end the day with 20 piles, not 10.  Working smart doesn’t mean we should do less than we’re capable of, working smart should be a key to open up the lock on our full potential.

Today’s business world is highly competitive. With globalization and emerging technology putting all of us in a position where we need to prove our effectiveness daily,  each of us should strive to eliminate extra steps or low-return tasks in our working lives. That’s working smart. But we will also have to commit ourselves to working as hard as we can once we’ve streamlined our job.

It takes working both smart and working hard to raise your productivity higher than anyone might have thought possible.  That’s how people get raises and promotions - by helping to take the business to the next level.  Too many people today have committed themselves to working smart in an effort to avoid working hard.  That might let you get the bare minimum accomplished with less effort and stress, but it will hardly help you drive your career in the long term.

I am as strong a believer as anyone in the idea of finding intelligent and innovative ways to get the job done, but only to allow us to do more. If you’ve found a way to get your job done in less time or with less effort but you’re still doing the same amount as before, quit congratulating yourself.  The truth is, you aren’t “working smart," you’re just being lazy.