Have you ever received the criticism to "work smarter and not harder?" This relating to the academic and also the professional world of architecture. Also if you have received this criticism how did you interpret this relating to the work load given in school and the professional world. Also maybe an example of how this was solved.
-Thank you.
gwharton
May 27, 15 11:00 pm
I give that criticism all the time, both in a professional and academic context.
CD.Arch
May 27, 15 11:47 pm
The world can't be filled with just thinkers. Nothing would get done. Work smarter AND harder.
midlander
May 28, 15 12:31 am
usually it means you're spending a lot of time on small details that don't have much impact on the overall quality of your project. it could be a too-complicated model, too fancy renderings, or just some small aspect of the design which isnt important. ask the instructor to help direct you to focus on what matters if you're unsure
kickrocks
May 28, 15 1:58 am
You can spend 10 hours on something no one will care or notice (and won't pay you extra for). Or you can devote 5 hours to finish things that do matter. Same overall result in the end.
There, you just gained five hours of free time to do whatever else. Sleep, eat, binge Netflix, go outside, anything. More or less same outcome in the end except one spend twice as long. Repeat as a habit and watch the hours pile up.
Miles Jaffe
May 28, 15 8:38 am
Too much execution of too little concept.
In construction that would be the equivalent of digging an electrical trench with a shovel when there is a backhoe parked right behind you and the problem could be solved with WiFi.
empea
May 28, 15 9:09 am
In practice, many times this can equate to the nowadays quite common scenario of a PM who cut their teeth pre-digital and therefore "don't trust" computers in whatever way, or who just don't care in general. Consequently they'll have some poor soul doing whatever menial chore (pick one, they're endless in AEC) for hundreds or thousands of repetitions that could have been partially or entirely avoided with a little foresight and planning together with someone more knowledgeable than themselves. Classic, if a bit stupid, example: there are still many people out there who don't know/don't care that there are batch routines for creating PDFs of large drawing sets. That's hard and dumb work right there.
3tk
May 28, 15 11:31 am
Pet peeve - people drawing in details that can't be seen/read at the scale it would be printed at.
Generally speaking, as others have mentioned, it's important to think through why you are doing something and then execute the task based on what that task needs to do. Ask yourself: do I NEED to draw each drawing or is the information elsewhere? How much detail does this particular drawing/model/diagram/rendering need? What shortcuts can I use?
Work, and to some extent school, is about efficiency. At some point more time spent is a waste.
proto
May 28, 15 4:39 pm
'work smarter, not harder"
it's executive speak for "i have no idea what you do or how to give you specific helpful criticism, but cost me less"
gruen
May 29, 15 4:50 pm
better advice would be "work harder, not smarter"
gwharton
Jun 1, 15 9:56 pm
I should elaborate on my earlier one-off.
Usually, when I say "work smarter, not harder," I mean a few specific things:
1) You have tunnel-vision and are grinding on something unimportant, so prioritize better;
2) You are doing something in a needlessly difficult way because you haven't bothered to think about what you are doing or why you are doing it, so quit wasting energy on it;
3) What you are doing is actually counter-productive to what you are trying to accomplish and every minute you spend doing that thing is costing you more minutes of rework down the line;
4) You're obviously just phoning it in, doing the conventional thing for the sake of grinding through it;
5) You are an idiot; or,
6) All of the above
This is all related to that old saw about there being four kinds of people: Hardworking-Smart, Lazy-Smart, Hardworking-Stupid, and Lazy-Stupid. Where do you fall on that spectrum?
Of all those types, the Hardworking-Stupids (e.g. those who work very, very hard doing dumb things), are by far the most destructive to productivity. Lazy-Stupids are bad too, but they never mess up that much because they can't be bothered.
Hardworking-Smarts can accomplish truly amazing things, though when they veer off into clever-silly territory it can be catastrophic for everybody. Lazy-Smarts tend to be the most productive in the sense that they are good at figuring out easy, efficient ways to do things better and faster, so they can get out of the office and back to golf or whatever.
So, when I say "work smarter, not harder" I'm telling you that you are acting like a hardworking-stupid when you should be at least acting like a hardworking-smart if not a lazy-smart instead.
kickrocks
Jun 4, 15 2:21 am
Seriously, the way you talk about others, it's rarely positive. If you learn one thing here after all these posts, it should be to cut down on the condescension and slight off-hand remarks. No one ever seems to be good enough for you, not BIG or any of your peers.
Miles Jaffe
Jun 4, 15 10:47 am
Lot of classmates in my program especially the Chinese work very very hard but not in a smart way. They just exhaust themselves and mismanage their time.
There is no translation error. You simply are careless with words and use language as a convenient excuse. This isn't the first time you've mindless insulted others--you already pissed on your employer and Americans in general.
You're slipping up gradually. Here are the details so fair: you live in New York, go to an Ivy school (pretty much narrows it down to one) and are from Bahrain or someplace like that. You're asocial in class, someone who is leaving next year, and obviously not Chinese.
It's a small profession. No doubt people already know who you are or have vague ideas of someone like you. Before you actually mess up and link yourself to any tangible identity, stop and think about your public image. Hint: it's not a good one right now. Or you can spend a lot more money cleaning that up again.
null pointer
Jun 4, 15 5:58 pm
I'd like to take a second to correct Kozumelle.
You are not in a graduate program.
Please go on.
Bench
Jun 4, 15 6:29 pm
I am opinionated, I thank you for the word of caution but it simply is not that serious. If I inadvertantly offended you with a comment of mine I apologise. But my opinions are my own.
This.
How can you spend $30,000 on a PR consultant, decry your rejection from your classmates by burning down all relationships with them, subsequently suggest they are all idiots on this board, and still frame yourself as the victim? You've clearly not learned anything from your own recent history - which has been very publicly aired out on here.
Yes, your opinions are your own. They're very obviously egotistic and self-centered. They are made to elevate yourself above the 'commoners' around you. So don't hide behind the 'just speaking my mind' excuse when people call you out for your shitty attitude.
ramirezl
Jun 4, 15 6:30 pm
All very good comments. Giving us all a good discussion.
I do have to say that if you are a professor or employer and you are bound to give this criticism to someone it is necessary, out of respect for the field and the people that work in the field, should give a specific and precise example behind that criticism. Because if you do not you, professor or employer, have just produced a "monkey". Someone that will not grow as a person and essentially will always be a "Lazy-Stupid" employee/student.
I think that if you truly respect this profession you should be willing to be inspirational to those that have just started in the career. Helping to flourish architecture with creativity and innovation.
"For Shame"
awaiting_deletion
Jun 4, 15 6:31 pm
but does kozumele like pizza?................fellow Chinese classmates years ago-in discussion - noted that America has this creative ability he just could not learn in China no matter how smart he was........my response was - its all rebellious bullshit............how does bull shit play into this equation?
kickrocks
Jun 4, 15 6:34 pm
There you go again. What I said is actually trying to help you out with every little issue you've presented like a puppy not knowing what to do outside of the doghouse. The workplace ignoring you in real life, the classmates that don't seem to want to associate with you (or vice versa), the reactions you get on here with your stunted line of questioning and reasoning. It's not them, it's you. You the real person behind some pseudonym.
When you have the time, and you will, take a look through your post history. Look at the entire context, not just the words you tell yourself are true and that everyone is against you. I scold many others but not many of them have as many erroneous claims as you. There's claiming to be right and then there's you asserting and reluctant to accept any other. Maybe it's cultural for you, I don't know.
Everyone has opinions, it's nothing special. You hold naive beliefs and are reckless with words. It's grating and been grating from the first day. As I mentioned before, in this country where English is the primary language, you will be taken at face value based on whatever you say and type. Don't like it? Learn the language better or downplay the questions so it doesn't sound like something out of a sixteen year old.
Don't turn yourself into a martyr. You created the image of yourself alone and it was destined for failure on the first day. There are plenty of easy targets but most people learn to either adapt or face the consequences. You don't seem to care either way.
Miles Jaffe
Jun 4, 15 6:55 pm
You guys are wasting your time, the cup is full to overflowing.
But still entertaining and maybe a good lesson for those whose cups aren't quite as flooded.
kickrocks
Jun 4, 15 7:29 pm
Am I talking to a wall?
Your questions don't spur much. People are either insulting you based on the original post or going off-tangent on their own. The only thing you seem to do is draw a crowd, which in these slow times for message boards, is commendable.
There's no point explaining any of this anymore. Most users here already know what to expect from you. I'm clearly not in the minority who thinks you need some deep introspection. It may surprise you but normal social conventions still apply online. In real life, no one will acknowledge you so just be fortunate the net exists so you can at least try to interact with people. As I type this, I have to accept you are a real person, which is far better than being nothing.
Maybe this is due to all the stress and pressures of having to succeed in an expensive school and make it big despite being the complete opposite right now. Your posts tell a lot. It sucks to not fulfill high expectations but if you want any sincere replies, try a different approach next time--under another guise of course. You always turn everything into a me-me-me and then throw a fit when people tell you otherwise. Hard to feel anything for such a thing.
awaiting_deletion
Jun 4, 15 7:31 pm
this kozumelle-kickrocks interaction might be a good "work smarter not harder?" illustration of social interactions?
Miles Jaffe
Jun 4, 15 7:43 pm
Kozumelle, don't go - just think a bit more about what you're doing. You are tripping over your own ego. Learn and grow.
Nothing here is intended to be mean or harmful to you. Think about it, nobody here knows anything about you other than what you write under an assumed name.
awaiting_deletion
Jun 4, 15 8:15 pm
pretty sure Archinect's hit count went up once Kozumelle started posted!
kickrocks
Jun 4, 15 8:37 pm
Provocative characters are cheap entertainment. What would Twitter be without them?
ramirezl
Jun 4, 15 9:27 pm
there are too many bigots in architecture. Need to get rid of them soon.
kickrocks
Jun 4, 15 9:52 pm
There are bigots everywhere. Replacing them with your type won't be much better.
Have you ever received the criticism to "work smarter and not harder?" This relating to the academic and also the professional world of architecture. Also if you have received this criticism how did you interpret this relating to the work load given in school and the professional world. Also maybe an example of how this was solved.
-Thank you.
I give that criticism all the time, both in a professional and academic context.
The world can't be filled with just thinkers. Nothing would get done. Work smarter AND harder.
usually it means you're spending a lot of time on small details that don't have much impact on the overall quality of your project. it could be a too-complicated model, too fancy renderings, or just some small aspect of the design which isnt important. ask the instructor to help direct you to focus on what matters if you're unsure
You can spend 10 hours on something no one will care or notice (and won't pay you extra for). Or you can devote 5 hours to finish things that do matter. Same overall result in the end.
There, you just gained five hours of free time to do whatever else. Sleep, eat, binge Netflix, go outside, anything. More or less same outcome in the end except one spend twice as long. Repeat as a habit and watch the hours pile up.
Too much execution of too little concept.
In construction that would be the equivalent of digging an electrical trench with a shovel when there is a backhoe parked right behind you and the problem could be solved with WiFi.
In practice, many times this can equate to the nowadays quite common scenario of a PM who cut their teeth pre-digital and therefore "don't trust" computers in whatever way, or who just don't care in general. Consequently they'll have some poor soul doing whatever menial chore (pick one, they're endless in AEC) for hundreds or thousands of repetitions that could have been partially or entirely avoided with a little foresight and planning together with someone more knowledgeable than themselves. Classic, if a bit stupid, example: there are still many people out there who don't know/don't care that there are batch routines for creating PDFs of large drawing sets. That's hard and dumb work right there.
Pet peeve - people drawing in details that can't be seen/read at the scale it would be printed at.
Generally speaking, as others have mentioned, it's important to think through why you are doing something and then execute the task based on what that task needs to do. Ask yourself: do I NEED to draw each drawing or is the information elsewhere? How much detail does this particular drawing/model/diagram/rendering need? What shortcuts can I use?
Work, and to some extent school, is about efficiency. At some point more time spent is a waste.
'work smarter, not harder"
it's executive speak for "i have no idea what you do or how to give you specific helpful criticism, but cost me less"
better advice would be "work harder, not smarter"
I should elaborate on my earlier one-off.
Usually, when I say "work smarter, not harder," I mean a few specific things:
1) You have tunnel-vision and are grinding on something unimportant, so prioritize better;
2) You are doing something in a needlessly difficult way because you haven't bothered to think about what you are doing or why you are doing it, so quit wasting energy on it;
3) What you are doing is actually counter-productive to what you are trying to accomplish and every minute you spend doing that thing is costing you more minutes of rework down the line;
4) You're obviously just phoning it in, doing the conventional thing for the sake of grinding through it;
5) You are an idiot; or,
6) All of the above
This is all related to that old saw about there being four kinds of people: Hardworking-Smart, Lazy-Smart, Hardworking-Stupid, and Lazy-Stupid. Where do you fall on that spectrum?
Of all those types, the Hardworking-Stupids (e.g. those who work very, very hard doing dumb things), are by far the most destructive to productivity. Lazy-Stupids are bad too, but they never mess up that much because they can't be bothered.
Hardworking-Smarts can accomplish truly amazing things, though when they veer off into clever-silly territory it can be catastrophic for everybody. Lazy-Smarts tend to be the most productive in the sense that they are good at figuring out easy, efficient ways to do things better and faster, so they can get out of the office and back to golf or whatever.
So, when I say "work smarter, not harder" I'm telling you that you are acting like a hardworking-stupid when you should be at least acting like a hardworking-smart if not a lazy-smart instead.
Seriously, the way you talk about others, it's rarely positive. If you learn one thing here after all these posts, it should be to cut down on the condescension and slight off-hand remarks. No one ever seems to be good enough for you, not BIG or any of your peers.
Lot of classmates in my program especially the Chinese work very very hard but not in a smart way. They just exhaust themselves and mismanage their time.
Isn't that why you left school in disgrace and hired a PR firm?
gwharton, that was inspirational. Dang!
Kozumelle,
There is no translation error. You simply are careless with words and use language as a convenient excuse. This isn't the first time you've mindless insulted others--you already pissed on your employer and Americans in general.
You're slipping up gradually. Here are the details so fair: you live in New York, go to an Ivy school (pretty much narrows it down to one) and are from Bahrain or someplace like that. You're asocial in class, someone who is leaving next year, and obviously not Chinese.
It's a small profession. No doubt people already know who you are or have vague ideas of someone like you. Before you actually mess up and link yourself to any tangible identity, stop and think about your public image. Hint: it's not a good one right now. Or you can spend a lot more money cleaning that up again.
I'd like to take a second to correct Kozumelle.
You are not in a graduate program.
Please go on.
I am opinionated, I thank you for the word of caution but it simply is not that serious. If I inadvertantly offended you with a comment of mine I apologise. But my opinions are my own.
This.
How can you spend $30,000 on a PR consultant, decry your rejection from your classmates by burning down all relationships with them, subsequently suggest they are all idiots on this board, and still frame yourself as the victim? You've clearly not learned anything from your own recent history - which has been very publicly aired out on here.
Yes, your opinions are your own. They're very obviously egotistic and self-centered. They are made to elevate yourself above the 'commoners' around you. So don't hide behind the 'just speaking my mind' excuse when people call you out for your shitty attitude.
All very good comments. Giving us all a good discussion.
I do have to say that if you are a professor or employer and you are bound to give this criticism to someone it is necessary, out of respect for the field and the people that work in the field, should give a specific and precise example behind that criticism. Because if you do not you, professor or employer, have just produced a "monkey". Someone that will not grow as a person and essentially will always be a "Lazy-Stupid" employee/student.
I think that if you truly respect this profession you should be willing to be inspirational to those that have just started in the career. Helping to flourish architecture with creativity and innovation.
"For Shame"
but does kozumele like pizza?................fellow Chinese classmates years ago-in discussion - noted that America has this creative ability he just could not learn in China no matter how smart he was........my response was - its all rebellious bullshit............how does bull shit play into this equation?
There you go again. What I said is actually trying to help you out with every little issue you've presented like a puppy not knowing what to do outside of the doghouse. The workplace ignoring you in real life, the classmates that don't seem to want to associate with you (or vice versa), the reactions you get on here with your stunted line of questioning and reasoning. It's not them, it's you. You the real person behind some pseudonym.
When you have the time, and you will, take a look through your post history. Look at the entire context, not just the words you tell yourself are true and that everyone is against you. I scold many others but not many of them have as many erroneous claims as you. There's claiming to be right and then there's you asserting and reluctant to accept any other. Maybe it's cultural for you, I don't know.
Everyone has opinions, it's nothing special. You hold naive beliefs and are reckless with words. It's grating and been grating from the first day. As I mentioned before, in this country where English is the primary language, you will be taken at face value based on whatever you say and type. Don't like it? Learn the language better or downplay the questions so it doesn't sound like something out of a sixteen year old.
Don't turn yourself into a martyr. You created the image of yourself alone and it was destined for failure on the first day. There are plenty of easy targets but most people learn to either adapt or face the consequences. You don't seem to care either way.
You guys are wasting your time, the cup is full to overflowing.
But still entertaining and maybe a good lesson for those whose cups aren't quite as flooded.
Am I talking to a wall?
Your questions don't spur much. People are either insulting you based on the original post or going off-tangent on their own. The only thing you seem to do is draw a crowd, which in these slow times for message boards, is commendable.
There's no point explaining any of this anymore. Most users here already know what to expect from you. I'm clearly not in the minority who thinks you need some deep introspection. It may surprise you but normal social conventions still apply online. In real life, no one will acknowledge you so just be fortunate the net exists so you can at least try to interact with people. As I type this, I have to accept you are a real person, which is far better than being nothing.
Maybe this is due to all the stress and pressures of having to succeed in an expensive school and make it big despite being the complete opposite right now. Your posts tell a lot. It sucks to not fulfill high expectations but if you want any sincere replies, try a different approach next time--under another guise of course. You always turn everything into a me-me-me and then throw a fit when people tell you otherwise. Hard to feel anything for such a thing.
this kozumelle-kickrocks interaction might be a good "work smarter not harder?" illustration of social interactions?
Kozumelle, don't go - just think a bit more about what you're doing. You are tripping over your own ego. Learn and grow.
Nothing here is intended to be mean or harmful to you. Think about it, nobody here knows anything about you other than what you write under an assumed name.
pretty sure Archinect's hit count went up once Kozumelle started posted!
Provocative characters are cheap entertainment. What would Twitter be without them?
there are too many bigots in architecture. Need to get rid of them soon.
There are bigots everywhere. Replacing them with your type won't be much better.
I was told to work both harder and smarter.