Efficiency is doing things right Vs Effectiveness!

Efficiency is doing things right: In today’s quote of the day, I’d like to talk about Peter Drucker’s quote on efficiency vs effectiveness. Ever wondered why we do the things we do? What motivates us? And if we were not doing these things – what else would we be doing? In this article, we will talk about efficiency vs effectiveness. While doing so, we will also talk about the meaning of efficiency, purpose of being effective.

I’m conscious that this sounds like a lot of questions. But that’s perhaps the beauty of our lives, isn’t it? The ability to question and keep ourselves in check. The end goal is to ensure that we’re consciously doing the things that make us happy.

Who said efficiency is doing things right?

Peter Drucker – the Founder of Modern Management! He was a management consultant, educator and author whose contributions still dominate the business world.

He has written 39 books, some of which continue to influence the business world of innovation and entrepreneurship. His books are mostly centred on how humans are centred around organisations across the world – politics, business and economics. More detail about him can be found on Peter Drucker Wiki page.

As you know, I mostly love to talk about entrepreneurship and startup founders. Although management and business administration is thought of as later parts of a startup, they provide a firm foundation for the ability of a startup to scale.

Efficiency is doing things right, Effectiveness is doing right things

I think this quote operates both at a business and personal level. On a personal note, this ties in with time management and managing our priorities. While being busy with so many things, we tend to compromise the important things for urgent ones. These are great moments to take a pause and question whether we’re being efficient or effective. Or perhaps neither if we’re not taking control of the approach.

In a business context: This quote is a classic tussle between the purpose of business vs productivity. The quote is pertinent to modern-day business too and comes across quite explicitly in The Infinite Game by Simon Sinek. If you’re a startup founder thinking about a business idea, I’d strongly urge you to think about the purpose beyond an opportunity. Far too many businesses out there thinking about profitability – if your startup cannot add a huge value, then perhaps it’s not a great idea to start!

This quote is all about finding the right purpose and answering the question – WHY?! The crux of this quote – efficiency is doing things right, and effectiveness is doing the right things is its latter part. Efficiency is probably an easier problem to solve. Once you know what you’re doing and why the HOW is a relatively easier answer to find. And that’s all about productivity and dare I say operations.

Quotes about efficiency

Efficiency is a concept that holds great importance in various aspects of life, from productivity and time management to decision-making and resource allocation. Quotes about efficiency serve as reminders and insights into the value of optimizing our efforts and making the most out of the resources available to us. They inspire us to work smarter, not harder, and encourage us to streamline our processes for greater effectiveness. Here are a few notable quotes about efficiency:

Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things – Peter Drucker

This quote by management guru Peter Drucker highlights the distinction between efficiency and effectiveness. It emphasizes the significance of focusing on tasks that align with our goals and priorities, rather than simply completing tasks in a fast or efficient manner.

The least productive people are usually the ones who are most in favor of holding meetings – Thomas Sowell

This quote humorously points out the irony of unproductive meetings that consume valuable time without yielding meaningful results. It encourages us to assess the necessity and efficiency of meetings, highlighting the importance of using our time wisely.

Better three hours too soon than a minute too late – William Shakespeare

This quote from Shakespeare’s play “The Merry Wives of Windsor” emphasizes the value of punctuality and timeliness. It suggests that being early and prepared is a more efficient approach than rushing or being late, saving us from unnecessary stress and inefficiency.

The first rule of any technology used in a business is that automation applied to an efficient operation will magnify the efficiency. The second is that automation applied to an inefficient operation will magnify the inefficiency – Bill Gates

Bill Gates emphasizes the importance of first establishing efficient systems and processes before incorporating automation. This quote underscores that automation is a tool to enhance efficiency, but it cannot compensate for inefficiencies in the underlying operations.

Efficiency is doing better what is already being done – Peter Drucker

This quote by Peter Drucker underscores the idea of continuous improvement. It suggests that efficiency is not just about doing things faster but also about finding ways to enhance the quality and effectiveness of our actions.

Incorporating the wisdom of these quotes into our mindset and approach to work and life can inspire us to strive for efficiency, make wise decisions, and optimize our efforts to achieve better outcomes.

Efficiency Vs Effectiveness

I am a little torn to answer this question because I can see circumstances where you can use these words interchangeably. Efficiency is about achieving things in the best possible way. If you know the outcome, efficiency is about using your resources in the best possible manner to achieve the goal.

Effectiveness is about the quality of an outcome. One can argue that the implicit meaning of efficiency is in making the best use of your time. Although, efficiency doesn’t always guarantee the same or exemplary quality. Effectiveness is about how good the outcome is. More importantly, effectiveness is about ensuring that we do the right things. We can be efficient at the wrong things. But effectiveness should the driving point of what we pick up to do.

In the context of this quote, effectiveness takes a BIG PICTURE effect. Effectivenes is about identifying the right things to do. Once you know what you’re doing and WHY, you then focus your energies on the most efficient way to achieve your result.

Doing things right!

I’d rather challenge this a little and focus on doing the right things. At the base of every action is your reason. The results alone don’t justify the purpose of an action. It comes down to why you are doing a few things and then working out the right way to do it.

Does efficiency mean doing the right thing?

NO! Efficiency is about how well you employ your resources. You might recall from earlier articles – I love writing about productivity and efficiency. At any given moment, efficiency tells me that time is very important and I must get the most out of it. In some ways, the brain is trained to think of time as the most precious resource and assess whether what I’m doing is important or not. It is almost like using the Eisenhower Matrix to assess the priority list of my day.

Effectiveness: Doing the right things

I’m conscious that all of us lead a pretty busy life. With several demands on time, it is often hard to stop and think about what’s most important to us. Over the last few days, I’ve realised that I’m checking the blog stats incessantly which made me feel the pressure. With due persuasion from my partner, I stopped to ask a question. Why am I doing what I’m doing?

What are the key reasons and their purpose to me as a whole? These questions although innocuous have made me look back and focus on the right things. As simple as it sounds, I believe these reasons keep us sane. Sometimes it is natural to get lost in the flow and not maintain control. But the beauty is in being more conscious and aware of what we do. And to question ourselves curiously to see if we are addressing our values well.

Efficiency is doing things right, Effectiveness is doing right things

Peter Drucker