Efficiency vs. Effectiveness
Most get the difference between these two things, but we rarely catch the implications of this difference. If I’m only allowed to choose one of these two concepts, I will choose effectiveness all day.
Most large organizations are very interested in efficiency. In some settings, that’s marvelous. I want to be efficient with water and power in managing a building. There’s no downside there. But for anything that is interacting with people we should be very skeptical of focusing on efficiency. Efficiency will almost always be good for the organization and bad for the individual.
The problem is that efficiency is easier to measure than effectiveness. ‘How many learners can we serve?’ is an easier question to answer than ‘What impact does our education have on a learner’s earning potential?’ ‘What was the average GPA of the incoming freshman class?’ is an easier question to answer than ‘What have we done for these student’s ability to ask and answer questions because of the four years they have spent here?’
These ideas have come from Steven R. Covey, his son Steven M. R. Covey, Clayton Christensen, and Todd Rose. Go check out the classic Steven R. Covey video on ‘Green and Clean’ to see one of the first descriptions of the difference between efficiency and effectiveness that I have become familiar with. Covey observes what when he goes for efficiency, he kills motivation, relationship, and other things that matter more than just taking care of the lawn. He says, “Raise sons, not grass,” as his mantra to realize his real priority.
Steven M. R. Covey talks about how we should be efficient with things and effective with people in his book Trust and Inspire. He also adds detail as the son who was being taught in that video.
Efficiency is only good after we have learned to be effective. No matter the endeavor of life. In work, education, or family life, we should not go for efficiency until we have obtained effectiveness. If we switch the order we will be accelerating down the wrong road, making it harder to get where we really want to be.
What is something where you do not feel effective?
Do you ever recognize that you are accelerating down the wrong road?