No matter how hard working or talented any one of us is, we face a daily challenge in the workplace for which there is usually no easy answer: deciding when to be efficient and when to be effective.
A simple example illustrates this challenge. When we write to a colleague, do we simply send a text message or do we take the time to write an email, which provides more detail, elaboration, etc.? The text is quite efficient, yet it does not convey much information. If we are in a serious hurry, we choose the text, of course. But we should realize what we are doing, that is, we are deciding not to be effective.
For a more elaborate example, consider business meetings. It’s efficient to hold a meeting in which we simply talk at the group before us, tell them what’s happening and what they need to do. This efficient meeting doesn’t place a lot of demand on our time―or resources. But there are missed opportunities that an effective meeting can offer us: input from our team; an understanding of how colleagues think; and an enhanced sense of team.
But there’s a problem with effective meetings. They require a significant investment of time to prepare, send out an agenda, allow interaction and discussion, and address questions and concerns.
Emails and meetings are just two of the areas or arenas that require us to choose efficiency or effectiveness. Consider others: Do we have an open door policy or limit the hours when staff can speak to us? Do we fly 2000 miles to discuss a possible new assignment with a client face-to-face or have a video-conference call? Do we teach one of our staff to carry out an analysis or just do it ourselves and save time? Do we hire more service workers who touch customers or do we invest in automation, including robots?
To help us appreciate this principle and to teach ourselves to make decisions more consciously and deliberately, we can view its operation in our personal lives. Do we throw a frozen dinner in the microwave or cook a meal from scratch? Do we drive to the store or do we walk? Do we read the book or just see the movie? Do we work on our yard and garden or hire someone to do it?
Since there cannot be any fixed protocol or rules to follow when deciding whether to be efficient or effective, we encourage leaders to increase their awareness of the challenge, learn to see the two choices clearly and often, and understand that decisions are made in one direction or the other for good reasons. The more awareness we bring to each situation we face, the more likely we are to make a proper choice.