Paul and Augustine are woodcutters at Ogberaga sawmill. They both argued over who cuts more wood in one day and decided to compete against each other to determine the most efficient and best woodcutter.

The next day, Paul and Augustine woke up early to prepare for the competition, took their separate positions and commenced work at the same pace. After an hour, Paul noticed that Augustine had stopped cutting trees, so he doubled his effort in order to win.

Augustine only stopped cutting wood to take his first 10 minutes break. He made sure to take the 10 minutes break after every hour of work. He would sharpen his axe during this break to ensure efficiency.

In the evening, Paul who worked without stopping was sure that he won the prize. He was shocked when he realized that Augustine won.

He asked his colleague “how did you cut more wood than me? It’s impossible! Augustine said “Each hour I stopped work for ten minutes to sharpen my axe. Thus, I was able to achieve more”.

At your respective desks, don’t just work so hard that you overlook the things that enable work effectiveness. It is important you also work smart. Ensure to work towards your goals and develop the relevant skills required to improve your efficiency.

Here are some tips to sharpen your skills in the workplace:



Self-development: Attend training, take short courses, research and read online materials to improve your skills.


Measure your results, not your time.


Be open to feedback and improvement recommendations.


Explore better ways of getting the work done by working smart, not hard.




“The most successful men work smart, not hard”― Bangambiki Habyarimana