The World is ever changing. Certain things that makes sense now is going to look quite silly a century for now. Over the course of time we have changed our modes of operations while generally retaining certain principles. Now even the principles are changing as society continues to evolve. One of those principles that have been subject to various forms of modifications over the course of time has been what we understand by hardwork. I think while we've added more meaning to the definition over time, we still miss certain key areas in its application.
There are those who take pride in being able to thrive under high intensity, pressure driven environments. I am not one of those people unfortunately. I can work under pressure and deliver, but I've never pretended to, not will I ever lead anyone on that I actually like such a scenario. My new work environment gives the energy of people that take great pride in their ability to deliver intense workloads under extreme deadlines. I acknowledge hardwork, but I believe if there's an easier solution then it should be explored.
The average worker before automation of certain services worked incredibly hard to deliver so little. Yet to them it was hard, meaningful work. These days the work environment is a lot more productivity conscious but we still falter in some areas of key service delivery. Working hard does mean working long hours, but this only applies to productive work. I will never be ashamed of asking for more effective and efficient systems if it means we get to perform things in a fraction of the time.
Ability to deliver in the workplace is of course very important, I don't take that for granted. The last thing any employer needs is an employee who doesn't have the passion or work ethic to perform their roles. Yet while acknowledging this, I also believe that options should be explored when difficult tasks are considered.