The Conservationist’s Guide to Working Smarter
People often say to me, “Nick, how do you get so much done?” From the outside it can look like I’m spinning lots of plates at once. But the truth is, I’m not working longer or harder than anyone else – I’ve just learned to work a bit smarter.
For me, that boils down to three things: focus, boundaries and simplicity.
Efficiency is Simplicity
Leo Babauta sums it up nicely: “Simplicity boils down to two steps: Identify the essential. Eliminate the rest.” It really is that straightforward. Cut out the noise and you free up time for what matters.
My way of doing this is pretty simple too. Every quarter I sit down with the Finisher’s Journal and map out my top priorities. Each week I check in – is what I’m doing today actually moving me towards those bigger goals? That little ritual stops me from just being busy for the sake of it.
Small Changes, Big Results
Sometimes the smartest shifts are the smallest ones. When I was at BirdLife International, the whole office shared a single laptop with Skype installed. Meetings were clunky and painfully slow. My advice? Put Skype on every computer. Such a tiny change – but suddenly communication flowed and collaboration took off.
I shared this with Marco Lambertini during his first 100 days as CEO. My message to him was simple: we all need to work smarter, not harder. Small, smart changes can have a huge ripple effect. The moral of the story? Spot the tweaks that free up energy for the stuff that really matters. You can hear me chat more with Marco on the podcast.
The Value of Saying No
Meetings are another great example. Dr Carrie Goucher, who I had on the podcast, put it bluntly: half of all meeting time is wasted. That’s billions of pounds down the drain every year.
Carrie explained how we’ve come to wear back-to-back meetings like badges of honour, when really they should be seen as a red flag. Her advice? Not every meeting needs to happen. Some can just be an email, a quick note, or a short doc. And when meetings are needed, make them fewer, faster and bolder – invite the right people, start strong, and capture what’s agreed. The result is more time for meaningful work.
Creating Space for Rest
And here’s the bit we so often forget: working smarter also means making space to rest. It’s about giving yourself time to think, recharge and breathe.
I’m heading off on holiday tomorrow, and I know I’ll come back sharper and more energised because of it. Stepping back is just as important as leaning in. Rest isn’t a luxury – it’s part of working well.
What This Means for You
So, if you’re carving out your career in conservation, ask yourself: where can you simplify? What really matters? Which meetings could be emails? Which tasks actually move the needle – and which don’t? And maybe most importantly, how can you build in space to rest?
If you’d like a bit of structure and support with this, check out our Professional Development Programme – it’s designed to help conservationists work smarter, not harder, while keeping well-being front and centre.