Aaron Levy
- May 11, 2023
- 4 min read

Doing more with less

In today’s economic climate, most of us are being asked to do more with less.

When bank failures and mass layoffs are making front page news, it’s no wonder why most businesses are being financially conservative by pausing on spending and hiring.

But an uncertain economic outlook doesn’t mean you or your company can slow down on the work you do or the products or services you provide. It likely means the opposite - you’re required to go faster and do more. You have goals that still need to be achieved.

So how do you deliver on all that’s expected of you while not burning out your team or yourself? How do you excel by using what you already have?

Here’s a few things that work for us and the leaders we coach and train:

Know your Why

At Raise the Bar, we call it a Commitment Statement. At the end of a long day, or looking down the barrel of a tough project, the thing that keeps you motivated, strategic and energized is knowing why you’re working so hard in the first place. What is the big picture? Why is this deliverable so important? Knowing your WHY keeps you motivated AND it helps you prioritize, simplify and focus on what is most important that will have the greatest impact right now.

Pro-tip: Make sure you share your “why” with your team, or better yet, have them tap into why they’re on your team and doing the work they do. What are they committed to?

For examples of great commitment statements from our team, go here.

Get Buy-in

Nothing kills productivity, ingenuity, and creativity like a lack of buy-in. How can you get your whole team, department or company to buy-in to what you’re trying to accomplish and take ownership for their part? Usually it starts by making sure you’re aligned around a common set of values and/or mission. Knowing what motivates your team and what their “why” is helps establish buy-in. If you’re struggling with this…see next step.

Ask more, tell less

We know this often feels like the long way around, but what might feel slow and indirect at first pays dividends in overall speed and accuracy in solving a problem in the long run. By being curious and asking questions, we get to the real crux of the matter faster rather than spinning our wheels discussing the first (wrong) issue. By asking questions and really listening, we also understand what makes our team tick and what motivates them, and we mitigate our existing biases.

Open Honest Direct Communication

When you’re strapped for resources, no one has time to beat around the bush. But direct communication can cause problems and hurt feelings if you don’t already have the foundations of an open, honest and direct culture. Start by reinforcing a culture of feedback.

Use What You’ve Got, Invest in What You Have

What do you already have working for you that you can leverage?

So often our brains think we need more to accomplish more. But we often overlook the skills, tools or assets we already have at our disposal. Is there someone on your team you can mentor to grow their capabilities? Is there a mentor you can connect with who will help you grow your capabilities?

What rock stars are already working with and for you that you can elevate? What tools, skills or resources do you already have that you can apply today that will make a difference? Is there a technology you have access to that you’re not taking advantage of?

Read:

8 Tips to Accomplish More with Less in 2023

This is a great article by coach Luciana Paulise. Our favorite thought of hers is “hide less and collaborate more. Collaborating with others can be a great way to get more done with less.” Check out her great tips in this Forbes article.

Watch:

Work Smarter Not Harder

Watch this funny 30 second YouTube Short about how “smarter” is often right in front of us, if we can only think outside our normal paradigms.

Learn & Do:

Create Goals that Drive Accountability You cannot accomplish everything everywhere all at once; instead, you must align on your top priorities for each quarter, from the top of the organization down to every team member. In next week’s interactive Community Workshop, we will explore how to create goals that drive accountability and help you achieve these priorities. Bring your goals as we explore a framework for creating goals that are trackable, clear, and empower your team members to take ownership. Save your spot here.

Hire for and Live into Your Values {a panel discussion} You’ve established your company values - now how do you get buy-in from your team? How do you make these values come to life? Unless your leaders and team members align and live into them daily, they are just words on your website or on the wall of your office. In this panel discussion, we'll explore how to determine if a potential team member truly aligns with your values, how to ensure that your leaders model these behaviors, and what types of policies and systems can be implemented to ensure that your team lives into them. Join our rockstar panel of expert people leaders as they share their insight and challenges. Join our virtual discussion featuring: