It’s Effectiveness Over Efficiency

If you’ve never thought about the difference between efficiency and effectiveness, you’re not alone. The fact is that most use these terms interchangeably. Yesterday, I heard it said that, “It’s effectiveness over efficiency.” Understanding the difference between these two strategies can help initiatives succeed. Peter Drucker said, “efficiency is doing things right, effectiveness is doing the right thing.” Ideally we want to be both efficient and effective—after all, everyone wants to do the right things right. Efficiency is the ability to produce an intended result in the way that results in the least waste of time, effort, and resources. Effectiveness is the ability to produce a better result, one that delivers more value or achieves a better outcome.
Effectiveness is actually more sustainable than efficiency. That might sound counterintuitive but effectiveness emphasizes getting something done well as opposed to getting a lot done. While efficiency might get more done using less resources, an organization is only sustainable if we effectively fulfill a need make an improvement, or solve a problem. It really comes down to focus. We must decide what to focus our energy and resources on.
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