Part 2 on Efficiency or effectiveness : and the winner is.....
My previous post on 'efficiency or effectiveness : and the winner is....' generated some points of view. These ranged from:
At the outset, I would like to thank all the readers who went through my post and rasied queries.
I would like to revisit some elements of my previous post on this topic. Based on my experience, I feel in current scenario, effciency and effectiveness are two side of the same coin. Creating a coin with only one of the two elements on the sides will only render it useless.
The concept's of efficiency gained much prominence during the industrial revolution with thought leaders like Fayol and Taylor. Consider a scenario where an employee is supposed to do a particular task repetitively - an assembly line setup or a shop floor in a manufacturing unit. The objective invariably is to get the desired results in minimum possible costs by eliminating wastage - doing things right and of course they have to be right things.
Now consider another scenario wherein an employee is assigned a task which has not been attempted before - in essence little to fall back upon in terms of experience. Some of the obvious options are seeking inputs from those who have undertaken such a task earlier or going through some secondary sources of information. The attempt is to achieve desired results with judicious use of resources at hand - do the right things and doing things in right manner.
So what do I choose between efficiency or effectiveness? Tough to pick one. I feel there are circumstances wherein efficiency takes prominence over effectiveness and vice versa. But to think of one blanking the other out in an 'either or' scenario, in my view, is not possible.
Both effciency and effectiveness have been existing in management lexicon for long. The scenario today is such that their co-existence and constant interactivity is being felt more than ever before. It seems like in a cross country car rally with a driver and a co-driver, with the possibility of switching who is in the driver's seat.
I feel that the individual (employee) is a key element in driving efficiency and effectiveness. Unless there is an internal drive to learn, implement and excel, no amount of external stimulus can help. Not that I intend undermining the role of factors beyond human element - the organisation culture, the work environment, the opportunities to explore without the fear of retribution and failure all add up to create an enterprising work environment.
By : Sumit Singh
Dated : 11 Nov'12
- What is more important, 'efficiency or effectiveness'?
- Is there a framework which I could suggest on when to choose between effciency and effectiveness?
- Why the hype on this, efficiency and effectiveness have always existed - is there something new in their manner of existence?
- Does efficiency drive effectiveness or vice versa?
- Are efficiency and effectiveness driven only by the individual concerned or are there other factors also?
At the outset, I would like to thank all the readers who went through my post and rasied queries.
I would like to revisit some elements of my previous post on this topic. Based on my experience, I feel in current scenario, effciency and effectiveness are two side of the same coin. Creating a coin with only one of the two elements on the sides will only render it useless.
The concept's of efficiency gained much prominence during the industrial revolution with thought leaders like Fayol and Taylor. Consider a scenario where an employee is supposed to do a particular task repetitively - an assembly line setup or a shop floor in a manufacturing unit. The objective invariably is to get the desired results in minimum possible costs by eliminating wastage - doing things right and of course they have to be right things.
Now consider another scenario wherein an employee is assigned a task which has not been attempted before - in essence little to fall back upon in terms of experience. Some of the obvious options are seeking inputs from those who have undertaken such a task earlier or going through some secondary sources of information. The attempt is to achieve desired results with judicious use of resources at hand - do the right things and doing things in right manner.
So what do I choose between efficiency or effectiveness? Tough to pick one. I feel there are circumstances wherein efficiency takes prominence over effectiveness and vice versa. But to think of one blanking the other out in an 'either or' scenario, in my view, is not possible.
Both effciency and effectiveness have been existing in management lexicon for long. The scenario today is such that their co-existence and constant interactivity is being felt more than ever before. It seems like in a cross country car rally with a driver and a co-driver, with the possibility of switching who is in the driver's seat.
I feel that the individual (employee) is a key element in driving efficiency and effectiveness. Unless there is an internal drive to learn, implement and excel, no amount of external stimulus can help. Not that I intend undermining the role of factors beyond human element - the organisation culture, the work environment, the opportunities to explore without the fear of retribution and failure all add up to create an enterprising work environment.
By : Sumit Singh
Dated : 11 Nov'12
Thanks Sumit, its a very interesting Perspective
ReplyDelete....thanks for raising the queries in the first place and ticking off the grey cells...
ReplyDelete