3. Actual Performance
Actual Actual
Performan Performa
ce nce
Working Harder Working Smarter
Ti
T
m
i
e
m
e
4. Effort
E Working Harder E Working Smarter
ff ff
o or
rt t
Time Spent on Improvement
Time Spent on Improvement
Time Spent on Working
Time Spent on Working
T T
i i
m m
e e
6. Capability Development
“Physics”
Desired
Performanc
e
+
Performance
GAP
-
Time spent
on
- -
improvement Time spent + Actual
on Performanc
working e
+
+
+ Capability Erosion
Investment
Capabilit
in Capability
Take effect very
y
slowly
7. Reduce the GAP
Option 1：Working Harder
Increase time spent on working
Option 2：Working Smarter
Improve the capability and process
8. Work Harder Balance Loop
Desired
Performanc
e
+
Pressure to Performance
do more GAP
work +
-
Time spent +
on + Actual
improvement Time spent
on Performanc
working e
+
Capability Erosion
Investment
Capabilit
in Capability
Take effect very
y
slowly
9. Working Harder
Telling people to working harder, overtime,
setting more aggressive targets, imposing
severe penalties
Working subtle: more frequent performance
reviews, more frequent status reports
It DOES work, but NOT continuous
10. Work Smarter Balance Loop
Pressure to + Desired
Improve Performanc
capability e
+
Performance
GAP
+
-
Time spent
on Actual
improvement Time spent
on Performanc
working e
+
+
+ Capability Erosion
Investment
Capabilit
in Capability
Take effect very
y
slowly
11. Working Smarter
Managers response to performance shortfall by
increasing the pressure to improve capability
Encourage launch of improvement program
Experimentation
Research
Invest in training
Improving future productivity but a delay and
investments can by risky, it does NOT solve
the problem ‘right now’
12. The Real World Facts
Thus managers frequently use work harder at
the expense of long term improvements,
pushing overtime, dropping training &
improvement programs
Work harder becomes routine and leave no
time for improvement
13. Balance?
Pressure to + Desired
Improve Performanc
capability e
+
Pressure to Performance
do more GAP
+ work +
-
+
Time spent
on
- -
improvement Time spent + Actual
on Performanc
working e
+
+
+ Capability Erosion
Investment
Capabilit
in Capability
Take effect very
y
slowly
