To think that “work smart, play hard” is just a fancy way of being lazy?

[AlertBird]

I’ve noticed more and more people banging on about how they ‘work smart, not hard’ but then spend the rest of their time living it up. It seems like an excuse to do the bare minimum, while others hustle all day to get ahead. Is this approach really smart, or is it just a way to justify being lazy and avoiding hard work? AIBU to think that true success requires both hard work and dedication, not just “working smart” and coasting?

Life is short, people should live the best way they can for themselves. Not lazy at all, just different

If you can get all you need to do, done quickly ... thats not lazy, just effective.

Well... there are two separate issues that jumped out at me when I read your post. Firstly, you don't need to break your back to be successful in your career, no. I think if you're organised and, yeah, 'smart' about it, you can do great work with less effort.

Secondly, your idea of success will be different to someone else's. To a lot of people, doing the bare minimum and getting away with it, therefore having more time to really enjoy their life and do what they want, IS success. So... YABU, I think.

My friend was good at programming and was able to automate most of his work from home job. Happy days! What should he have told the boss - "A day's work now only takes me an hour - please give me more work?"

Work smart means don’t let your boss know what you’re capable of at max capacity as they’ll expect it all the time. I think that’s sound advice: you need a home life too

There’s a distinct difference between working smart and not pulling your weight. Some people will claim to work smarter and get little done - that doesn’t mean that everyone is the same. Lots of people are capable of working smart and getting work done much faster than colleagues - nothing lazy about that. It doesn’t have to be a slog to be successful.

No!!! Call centre worker here.

We work HARD under pressure. In a sector hated by many with good reasons. We are pushed to the max. It is about getting the best out of us as a team and incentivising us rather than demotivating us.

I don’t think working hard is a badge of honour really. As long as you’re pulling your weight/doing your share.
And if you can do work quickly then that makes you competent/efficient rather than lazy surely?

AIBU to think that true success requires both hard work and dedication, not just “working smart” and coasting?

For some true success will mean getting to a senior level in a high paying career.

For others it will mean doing the absolute minimum to reach and maintain a level where their career pays for the standard of living they want. It's not lazy or immoral to want to prioritise your personal life over your professional one unless you dump others in it in the process.

You could say "work smart not hard" is the calling card of the lazy. You could also say that placing emphasis on the need to work hard causes presenteeism and micro managing.

There's a balance to strike, and it will look a little different for everyone.

It’s a way of avoiding a long hours/presenteeism culture developing.