Efficiency vs. Effectiveness

Good morning,

Happy Friday - despite Michigan’s single digit overnight temperatures. This morning’s topic turns up the heat on productivity by sparking a little debate about the difference between being efficient versus being effective.

Don’t mistake efficiency for effectiveness.

Something I truly hate is wasting my time. Time is so precious that wasting it irks me to the point of being a personality quirk. Since childhood I’ve always wanted to accomplish any task as efficiently as possible (Yes, I load the dishwasher like it’s an Olympic sport.)

But here’s the point and the important message for today's note. Being efficient is a complete waste of time unless the task being performed is relevant to the overall objective. Efficient completion of irrelevant tasks is totally ineffective! Just like driving the most efficient route to a destination is a total waste of time if the wrong address is typed into the GPS navigation. (My most painful example was LA in 2005 Oops…)

Various business books address the important distinction between efficiency and effectiveness. (Let me know if you’d like a recommendation.) Today’s note is just a friendly reminder, when we plan our work or delegate to others, first evaluate which tasks are the most relevant. Will efficiently performing this task help accomplish my objective or is there a different use of time that would actually be more effective?

I hope all the streetlights turn green for you today and that you have a sunny day!

Clarity

P.S. “Do not squander time for that is the stuff life is made of” Benjamin Franklin

Clarity Patton Newhouse
Metropolitan Lincoln Mercury
32000 Ford Road
Garden City, MI 48135
www.MetroMichigan.com
313-670-7505