“Work smarter, not harder.”
We’ve all heard that line before, and it’s one of my Wheel of Fortune game in my training workshops. And, of course, we understand that we do need to work smarter. We need to be more strategic; otherwise, we feel like we will never get to the bottom of our inbox, and we spend our entire day moving from task to task without ever completing the to-do list.
Everything at work is changing: technology, expectations, and office dynamics. And to be successful, efficiency isn’t enough. We also need to be strategic. We need to utilize tools to streamline our routine and use insight and influence to drive results.
But how can we think more strategically and make better decisions?
1) Use Technology as Your Partner, Not Your Replacement
Smart people don’t fear AI; they leverage it. In 2019, I wrote the book “Alexa is Stealing Your Job,” which explores AI, your job, and the future of work with AI. I jokingly say that artificial intelligence is taking your job, but I clearly say that it won’t. However, someone who knows AI will take your job. (You can still buy the book from my website or from Amazon.)
The primary focus of the book is on using AI as your partner and not being afraid that it will replace you. AI isn’t about cutting corners; it’s about making things easier and faster so that you have time for the higher-level strategic work.
Utilizing AI for email management, minute-taking, travel, and summaries is a smart move. This morning, I received an updated contract from a university where I have been providing workshops for the past few years. It is 11 pages long! To see if anything was different, I uploaded last year’s contract and this year’s contract into ChatGPT and asked it to compare the contracts and highlight any changes. Within one minute, it told me the only changes were the contact’s name and the year.
By using AI, I felt confident that I could sign the contract, as it hadn’t changed from previous years. Without AI, I would have had to carefully review the 11 pages of clauses to ensure I was satisfied with them. Knowing I had carefully reviewed the contract last year, I saved myself at least 30 minutes.
Maybe you’re preparing for a board meeting and need to summarize last month’s minutes. Instead of rereading every word, try pasting the notes into an AI tool and asking it to create a two-paragraph executive summary or list of key decisions. You can prepare yourself for the meeting, anticipate follow-up items, and even prepare strategic questions at the snap of a finger.
Or imagine needing to draft a first version of an internal announcement. Use AI to get started, but then refine it with your voice, tone, and company culture. The tool does the thinking, and you bring the judgment, nuance, and professionalism that technology can’t replicate.
That’s the essence of thinking smarter: using technology to handle the what so you can focus on the why.
2) See the Big Picture and Not Just Your To-Do List
Being strategic means zooming out. It’s easy for us to get stuck in the details and lose sight of the 30,000-foot view. To be strategic, we need to take a step back.
Imagine that your executive asks you to schedule a meeting with all department heads.
A task-focused approach would be to simply find a time that works for everyone. But a strategic approach might be to ask:
- “What’s the main goal of this meeting?”
- “Does this align with the quarterly objectives?”
- “Would it make sense to include someone from Finance to avoid follow-up delays?”
Thinking smarter means understanding the ripple effect of what you do. If you can anticipate what your executive or team needs next week, rather than just today, you become more than organized; you become an indispensable part of the team.
One admin recently showed me how she was mapping each major project to the organization’s strategic plan. It helped her prioritize what truly mattered, and her executive quickly noticed she wasn’t just “doing”; instead, she was driving as a true partner.
3) Ask Better Questions
Strategic thinkers don’t wait for instructions. They clarify intent.
Imagine being asked to “book a venue for a staff event.” Instead of jumping right in, you might ask:
- “What kind of experience do we want staff to have?”
- “Is this a celebration, a strategy session, or a morale booster?”
- “Would virtual participation be an option?”
Those questions help shape the event from a basic logistical task into a purposeful experience.
Or, when your leader sends you a vague note like, “Set up a call with Jordan,” you might respond:
“Absolutely. Would you like that to be a quick check-in or a more formal update? Should I include anyone else for context?”
You’re not being difficult. Instead, you’re thinking critically. Smart admins don’t just complete the task; they make sure it’s the right task, done the right way.
4) Build Influence Through Relationships
Influence isn’t about authority; it’s about trust, timing, and communication.
Let’s say a department wants to add last-minute agenda items to a leadership meeting. Instead of saying “I’ve already sent out the agenda to everyone,” a strategic admin might say:
“I understand this is important. Let’s add it to next week’s agenda so the team has time to prepare, and I’ll flag it for discussion with the chair.”
You’ve shown flexibility and professionalism, and you’ve protected the integrity of the meeting. That’s influence in action.
Or maybe your executive tends to make quick decisions without consulting others. Instead of pushing back directly, you could say:
“Would you like me to get input from the Communications team first, so you have a full picture before finalizing?”
When you build relationships across departments, people see you as a connector and someone who makes things run smoothly. And that credibility gives you quiet power.
5) Create Space to Think
You can’t think strategically if you’re always reacting.
You need to find time for reflection, even if it’s just 30 minutes a week. Use that time to look ahead instead of catching up.
For example:
- Review your executive’s calendar for patterns. Are there recurring bottlenecks or low-value meetings that could be optimized for improvement?
- Look for trends in your workload. Are you constantly firefighting the same issues? What could be changed to prevent them?
- Consider what’s coming up next quarter. Are you preparing early enough, or just reacting to deadlines as they appear?
If you have the paid version of CoPilot, you can use it as a partner to help you become more strategic. Ask CoPilot to evaluate your calendar to identify where they are spending the majority of their time, or to evaluate it and make suggestions. I know some admins who set time aside every week to organize priorities, clean up processes, and think about what their executive will need two weeks from now. If you do that, you know it’s the most productive hour each week.
Thinking smarter means giving yourself the breathing room to plan, prioritize, and lead — not just survive.
The future belongs to the admins who balance technology with strategy.
Utilize AI and automation to reclaim time. Use that time to think critically, ask smarter questions, and build influence. The result? You’ll not only get more done; you’ll do more that matters.
So, the next time you feel buried in your to-do list, pause and ask yourself: “Am I just finishing tasks, or am I helping shape results?“
That’s how you move from efficient to essential. That’s how you think smarter.
Take five minutes this week to pause and ask yourself: Am I just finishing tasks, or am I helping shape results? That simple shift in thinking can completely change how you show up at work.