The Work Smarter Not Harder Museum

To say my wife, Suzanne, is a potato fan is a bit of an understatement. She tells me that when she was in grade school and into Junior High, she would come home after school and make her favorite snack, a bowl of instant potatoes. So, one summer when our family was driving near Blackfoot, Idaho and we passed a sign that read, Idaho Potato Museum Next Exit, we had to take this unscheduled stop to take a look.

As we toured the facility and read the displays, it was fascinating to see how technology and an understanding of potato farming grew the potato industry. Each change made the crop yield more produce and was geared to save time and resources. Working smarter and not harder has been an essential practice in most industries, but especially in potato production.

Machines have always allowed us to work smarter and not harder. Gasoline-powered tractors and motor trucks in the early 1920’s made a big impact on improving production and reducing hard labor in the potato industry. Harvesting potatoes used to require many hands. In the race against the September-October freeze-up, people who did not usually do field work were recruited to pick potatoes. As harvest labor became harder to get, machine designers began to improve the potato digging process. The chain link conveyors used to separate field dirt from potatoes soon led to a more complex machine that elevated the potatoes in bulk to the height of a potato truck and eliminated hand picking and field bags. Working smarter not harder.

Working smarter, not harder is really a mindset. You either have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset. The growth mindset moves you to get better, change and get out of the comfort zone. A fixed mindset keeps one from moving forward, it’s the mindset that says, this is way that works because we have always done it this way. The growth mindset is about working smarter, not harder.

We recently moved our golf course maintenance to a dedicated phone app. It reduces the need to call the pro shop or even check in at the pro-shop at all. Administratively, we made the decision to move trash cans and benches out of the turf areas so crews could reduce cutting time by no longer needing to line trim around these items. Technological, mainstream, and administrative processes all help us work smarter and not harder.

Let me know what you and your team have done recently to work smarter and not harder. Who knows? One day, you and your family may pass a sign that says: Work Smarter Not Harder Museum Next Exit and it may showcase the processes you use to work smarter and not harder.