Smart Work Program

Smart Work is a practical, hands-on program delivering best-practice productivity strategies applied to MS Outlook and OneNote, based on the best-selling book Smart Work by Dermot Crowley

Smart Work Program in action

Imagine a workday where you’re focused, in control and getting real results without stress

Being productive isn’t always easy. A deluge of email and MS Teams messages to be dealt with, constant distractions and urgent issues demanding your attention, and a schedule full of meetings don’t help the situation. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Supercharge your productivity

The Smart Work approach helps you implement an organising system, using MS Outlook and OneNote, that puts you in control and ensures you approach your busy role in a focused, balanced and proactive way. We also explore the role of emerging AI features within everyday productivity tools, and how they can help you spend more of your time on the things that matter in your role.

Who is the program for?

Smart Work is ideal for busy knowledge workers in medium to large organisations who use digital tools such as MS Outlook and OneNote to manage their workload. It is perfect for people who are feeling overwhelmed or disorganised, or who simply want to become more productive.

The program is particularly beneficial for people with deadline driven or collaborative roles, such as managers, supervisors, professional staff, sales teams, support staff, project managers and teams, executive assistants and administrators.

The Smart Work approach

We believe the best way to change behaviors is to teach the theory of productivity and then apply these strategies directly to the productivity tools at your fingertips like MS Outlook and OneNote.

This practical approach to training ensures you start using your new skills and strategies immediately, increasing the chances of long-term behavioral change.

This program is built upon three interconnected topics – Actions, Inputs and Outcomes.

Module 1

Centralise your actions

The first module explores how participants can increase control over their work by centralising their actions into one powerful organising tool, MS Outlook.

They learn to harness the power of the calendar and task list in Microsoft Outlook to to manage their actions in a more balanced and proactive way. This enables them to manage their time, energy and focus more effectively.

Module 2

Organise your inputs

The second module looks at how we can manage our inputs in a more efficient and deliberate manner.

Particular focus is put on the management of email, and how participants can reduce stress levels and reactivity by getting in control of their inbox.

We explore best-practice filing strategies and look at ways to reduce the email noise that often distracts us from more important work.

Module 3

Realise your outcomes

The final module helps participants spend more of their time, energy and focus on the work that has the most impact.

By embedding powerful planning and prioritising routines, participants will reduce time spent on busywork and will instead spend more of their time working on the priorities that make a real difference over the long term.

Don’t just take our word for it

Smart Work program overview

Our Smart Work program is designed to deliver highly practical personal productivity strategies, and immediate results

The program can be run with intact teams, or with participants from across your organisation, and can be delivered online or onsite as a training program, or as a large group masterclass perfect for team offsite and conferences.

Outcomes

  • Manage all activities in one central tool – MS Outlook
  • Create a daily action plan to focus on priorities and commitments
  • Balance meeting and task workload
  • Filter and prioritise all forms of incoming work, including email
  • Be more responsive and work more proactively
  • Maintain focus in an interruption-driven environment
  • Plan and prioritise for maximum impact
  • Use emerging AI features to free up more time for high-value work

Our program pricing varies depending on a range of factors including session length and group size.
Contact us about pricing for your program.

Smart Work Training

Duration: 4 hours online or 6 hours onsite

Class size: Up to 25 participants

The Smart Work training can be run as an online program comprised of 2×2-hour webinars, or as a live onsite program over three quarters of a day. The online version of the program, our most popular offering, is great for teams that are geographically dispersed, and provides a highly engaging and yet efficient delivery for your team. The two webinars are spaced about a week apart to allow for practice and implementation in between.

The live onsite program allows for a more intimate experience, and has more space to cover the nuances of the Smart Work approach. Either way, you team will walk away inspired and ready to change how they work.

Smart Work Masterclass

Duration: 2-3 hours

Class size: Flexible

The Smart Work masterclass is the perfect practical session for your next team offsite or conference. If you are bringing your team together, you may want to give them the gift of a highly practical learning opportunity that will make their lives easier, and work more manageable.

We can co-design a session with you that will address the productivity issues your team face and deliver strategies that will not only increase personal productivity but also boost team productivity.

Ready to become more productive?

Our team is here to help your business become the productive powerhouse it needs to be. Let’s have a chat!

FAQs

What is Smart Work?

Smart Work is productivity training program that helps busy professionals manage time, priorities, and information more effectively. Based on Dermot Crowley’s best-selling book, the program is built around three core areas: centralising your actions, organising your inputs, and planning for outcomes. The approach is highly practical, with participants implementing strategies during the session using their own tools and real workload.

Who is Smart Work designed for?

The program suits professionals managing complex workloads, including managers, project teams, sales staff, executive assistants, and administrative teams. It works for office, hybrid, and remote workers across a wide range of industries.

What does Smart Work cover?

Participants learn how to centralise their priorities, so nothing falls through the cracks, process email more effectively to reduce inbox clutter, and build daily and weekly routines that keep them focused on the work that matters most. The program also covers how to balance meetings with focused task time, and how to use simple planning frameworks to stay on top of competing demands. It also explores how emerging AI features can reduce time spent on routine tasks.

How is Smart Work delivered?

The online version is delivered as two 2-hour webinars spaced about a week apart, for up to 25 participants. The onsite version runs as a three-quarter day workshop for up to 15 participants. Masterclasses are also available for conferences and team offsites.

What results can participants expect?

In surveys of past participants, 85% reported they were able to plan their day better, 76% were more effectively managing and completing tasks, and 71% achieved greater focus on important work. Many report reclaiming around an hour per day of more productive time.

Can Smart Work be customised for our organisation?

Yes. Smart Work can be tailored to address specific challenges such as email overload, hybrid work, and prioritisation. The program works with the tools your team already uses, including Microsoft 365.