Effectiveness and efficiency have several letters in common, to the extent that five out of the six unique letters in the word efficiency are also found in the word effectiveness.
In many ways, that is where the similarity ends. Effectiveness is doing the right things, as I wrote in a previous article, and efficiency is doing things right.
From Michael Armstrong’s book, How to be an Even Better Manager: A Complete A-Z of Proven Techniques and Essential Skills, we find a good way of contrasting efficiency and effectiveness. As Armstrong puts it, with effectiveness comes “a focus on results rather than work.” In contrast, efficiency focuses on finding better ways of doing what is already being done. Efficiency is a good quality to have, however it could become a dangerous limitation if it is the only focus. Effectiveness trumps efficiency.
Armstrong continues with more details around efficiency,
“To be efficient you need to:
- get things done as planned;
- hit targets;
- meet deadlines;
- cut costs;
- ensure that everything runs smoothly;
- carry out your tasks thoroughly;
- be accurate;
- minimise errors.”
That reads like a job description for a Project Management role, doesn’t it?
It is no surprise then, if Project Managers tend to focus along these lines – a subconscious alignment to what is typically expected of them. Note to self: As Armstrong puts it, focus purely on efficiency is a dangerous limitation.
Contrast this with Armstrong’s summary around effectiveness,
“Effective managers:
- are motivated to achieve excellence;
- have a guiding sense of purpose;
- focus on results rather than work, recognising that it is the end that counts, not the means;
- concentrate on the key areas which produce those results;
- are decisive, making judgements which deliver positive outcomes;
- are creative rather than routine problem-solvers;
- carefully manage their own and other’s time.”
I would like to see more job descriptions along these lines, for Project Management and Project Leadership roles. What do you think?
GAICD, M.Comp (Monash)
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