Thinking smart: What does it really mean?

Sam Leader You lot are full of wisdom and insights. Just last week, Jenny from Melbourne raised some excellent points about the term ‘think smart’.

“In order to think smart,” she asks “do we need other people’s guidance or is there a general concept or formula we can apply in our planning/marketing/selling activities?”

It’s a good question.

I reckon the smartest thinkers are the ones who recognise that they’ll always benefit from other people’s guidance. They may be doing a great job already, but they’ll welcome other’s views on better ways of working. Many successful leaders look to surround themselves with people smarter than they are.

More arrogant types have trouble considering alternatives, and can feel threatened by smart people. They’ve got it nailed, right, so why keep an open mind? Of course this describes precisely none of you, as you’re all reading this!

As for Jenny’s question as to whether there are general concepts which will help smarten up your business, I can think of a few: systemise, outsource and know thy product inside out.

Jenny also wanted to know “What does ‘think smart’ mean?”

It’s clear that implicit in the phrase is the sense of improving efficiency and making life easier, whatever that means to you. Perhaps it’s more money, or maybe more time. You’ll know what you need more or less of. Successfully working out how to achieve the balance that works for you, that’s thinking smart.

It’s also about those lightbulb moments, whereby you dream up a big idea or even a small tweak to how you do things that proves to be a significant time saver.

For example, a few weeks ago I started cooking double portions and freezing half. I now spend less time wondering what’s for dinner and more time hanging out with my little girl.

Have you got any examples of smartness to share? Or as Jenny so brilliantly put it, how do you think you 'think smart'? Hop online to tell us.

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Until next week.

Love your work,

Sam Leader
sam@flyingsolo.com.au
www.flyingsolo.com.au

Published 21 October 2008

Sam Leader is a director of Flying Solo and its editor. She is the co-author of Flying Solo - How to go it alone in business.

22 comments | Add your own 1 2 3 4 | Next» View all»

Listening more than speaking, searching for the treasure in people, shopping once a fortnight, restraining the urge to do all the work myself and knowing the value and prosperity of making time to spare. All these are "think smart" ideas that have been pushed into me through life's little "trials". Rich from Sydney
Asking myself, every morning, "what is one thing I can do today - or not do today - that will make my day easier and more enjoyable?" - and choosing something simple, that I know I can easily do - or not do! Donald Marmara from Sydney
As a marketing professional I have found many small businesses don't fully understand why or how they should use specific marketing tactics. This lack of understanding pevents them from taking action to generate more business.
So I agree with Sam that a big part of 'thinking smarter' is to ask for guidance from specialists who know what they are doing - and can explain what your options are in simple language that you can act on.
That's a big part of why I created the 2-minute Marketing Plan Workshop (next one is in Sydney Oct 30). To help soloists and small business owners understand what is relevant for them, and how to take action to increase sales. Stuart Ayling from Sydney
Taking a solutions-focused approach by asking different questions such as:
1. What am I doing today to get what I want?
2. Will this behavior improve my situation and move me towards what I want?… or am I settling?
3. How would the person I want to be do the thing I am about to do?
4. Who do I need to become to have what I want?
5. How long can I hold the vision? How long can I stay in line?
6. Am I willing to accept the consequences of not changing?
7. Who is in control?
8. What don't I see?
9. Am I willing to do whatever it takes?
10. Am I setting in motion the causes that will produce the effects I want? Rod Sherwin from Melbourne, Australia
I think it means being true to YOUR values and goals in life. Be that a focus on caring, giving, sharing, contributing, increasing your fitness or wealth or whatever. It means chosing to be influenced by people who genuinely want to help you succeed in achieving your goals (not just their own). Judy Gleeson from Canberra, Australia
Woodrow Wilson 28th US President says it best
"I not only use all the brains that I have, but all that I can borrow." Martyn Lloyd from Batemans Bay

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