By Nikki Cole, Tamara Wakeman of Education and Engagement, Comcare
What if the most powerful tool for improving performance, wellbeing and innovation is the way work is designed?
Great work outcomes depend on more than effort and just getting the work done. Rather than relying on people to simply cope with workplace challenges, effective leaders are improving the design of work itself. People need work that is clear, manageable, connected and sustainable – and look to their leaders for practical support.
Every day, leaders make choices about priorities, workloads, clarity, autonomy, support and team relationships. Together, these choices shape people’s experience of work.
Leaders who use SMART work design (SMART) look at work as a system, not just a set of individual tasks or issues. SMART helps them to make better choices – and it’s becoming an essential part of every APS leader’s toolkit. Hear from Donna-marie Audas, Director Marine & Coastal Geoscience at Geoscience Australia, about how she uses SMART work design with her team in Comcare’s webinar Words that work – using SMART language for better work design conversations.
SMART looks at five features of good work that help leaders see what’s working well, and what is getting in the way:
- Stimulating work that is engaging and challenging
- Mastery from having role clarity and feedback
- Agency or control over decisions and where, when and how work is done
- Relational work providing support, connection and meaning
- Tolerable work demands.
SMART is not another task to add to your list. It offers a different way of looking at challenges and guides practical changes that help teams work more effectively, adapt to change and achieve sustainable performance.
You can use SMART every day, and it’s simple to do. Get started by:
- talking about work, not just tasks. Ask what’s helping work go well or what’s getting in the way?
- clarifying what matters most. Help teams understand priorities, expectations and what can wait.
- building in autonomy. Give people a say in how work is planned, organised and improved.
- treating workload pressure as a design signal. Look at what can be changed in the work, not just how people are coping.
- strengthening connection and support. Create time for meaningful feedback, collaboration and shared problem-solving.
- designing change with people, not just for people. Involve teams early, give people a say, and monitor how changes affect work demands.
- building SMART into leadership routines. Use it in team meetings, one-on-ones, planning and performance conversations.
Check out Comcare’s new resources designed to help you improve work in your team