Ethan Evans, a former VP of Twitch Prime at Amazon, shares his expertise on working smarter in a remote world. He discusses practical strategies for enhancing productivity and prioritizing tasks while highlighting the importance of effective communication and automation. From his reflections in Rome, Ethan connects the dots between personal success and accountability. He also touches on the significance of memorable experiences, such as art and community mentorship, while expressing excitement for upcoming sports events and travel plans.
Accepting that one cannot do everything enables prioritization of high-value tasks aligned with personal goals for increased productivity.
Embracing automation and questioning inefficient practices can streamline repetitive tasks, allowing more focus on high-level responsibilities.
Deep dives
Working Smarter, Not Harder
To truly work smarter instead of just harder, it begins with the understanding that it’s impossible to do everything at work. Accepting this reality allows individuals to prioritize tasks based on their value and align them with their personal goals. Acknowledging that others may attempt to dictate what one takes on is vital for regaining control, as the demands from bosses, colleagues, and family can overwhelm one’s personal commitments. By actively choosing what to focus on, individuals can invest their time in tasks that matter most to them, fostering both efficiency and personal fulfillment.
The Importance of Prioritization
Effective prioritization is essential for maximizing productivity, yet it is tempting to gravitate towards easy or enjoyable tasks. Concentrating on high-impact tasks ensures that energy is directed towards work that will generate significant results rather than just keeping busy. Strategies like 'eating the frog'—forming the habit of tackling the hardest tasks first—can establish a productive routine. This prioritization process enables individuals to manage their workload effectively, ensuring that even when time is limited, high-value work gets done.
Embracing Risk for Better Decisions
The act of prioritizing involves making choices that come with inherent risks, such as disappointing others or making mistakes. Understanding the reasoning behind tasks can lead to smarter decisions, suggesting that one should inquire about the significance of assignments assigned by others. Facing these risks with a proactive mindset not only allows for growth but improves decision-making skills over time. Learning to accept and manage risk as part of the working process can result in better choices that facilitate personal and professional development.
Automating for Efficiency
When encountering repetitive tasks, the opportunity to automate emerges as a key element for working smarter. Identifying processes that can be streamlined frees up valuable time and energy, allowing individuals to focus on higher-level responsibilities. The challenge often lies in overcoming bureaucratic hurdles and resistance to change, where it becomes critical to advocate for process improvements. By embracing automation and questioning inefficient practices, professionals can cultivate a work environment that supports productivity and creativity.
Most of us work a minimum 40-hour work week. Now with working from home, we tend to put in more eight-hour workdays than we did before Covid-19. We’ve all heard the phrase “Work Smarter Not Harder”, but what does that really mean? What does it look like and how can we work smarter? There are simple things we can do in our workday to work smarter. Watch Ethan Evans, former VP of Twitch Prime (Prime Gaming) at Amazon; talk about how to work smarter. Ethan will discuss (from Rome) how you can start applying a few changes to make your time more productive and how to prioritize your day to get the things done that matter.
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