Act without doing; Work without effort. Think of the small as large and the few as many. Confront the difficult while it is still easy; Accomplish the great task by a series of small acts.

Being on the telephone does not mean I’m working hard. The papers all over my desk don’t make me busy. Putting in overtime doesn’t mean I’m getting things done. Running around does not make me productive, and barking orders doesn’t mean I’m in charge.

If a routine job consistently requires extra time to complete, then there is something wrong with the job or with the way in which it is completed. “Overtime” is not to be admired–it is to be shunned as a salute to inefficiency. The best worker appears to be doing nothing at all. The best leader does not need to give orders.

And of course, the best “meeting” is one that never takes place. :)

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 17th, 2007 at 11:59 am and is filed under Worker's Diary. You can follow any comments on this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.