This sketchcast is a 3m15s video about the concept of Effectiveness and Efficiency. In the video I explain using a simple graphical representation the difference between the two and why I focusing on effectiveness needs to be done before focusing on efficiency.
If you want to read more about the subject, I suggest you head over to the cross-blog series on Mastering Productivity.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
“Doing the right things is more important than doing the things you do right”. Snappy. I like it. Good sketchcast.
I first learned the distinction between efficiency and effectiveness from Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I think this sketchcast was cute, but I don’t think it really captures the idea. Goals are different from a mission in life, and I think Covey was on the right track with his emphasis on one’s deepest values. I also don’t understand the horizontal axis. Resistance to me is completely different from going in the wrong direction. I’d like to hear more about how you see it. Could you give me some specific examples?
Jean Browman
Cheerful Monk
Transforming Stress Into Personal Power
The first time I heard about the difference was when I was studying management sciences at university. The distinction is something that’s used quite a lot. Effectiveness of a process or activity is the extent in which it achieves the desired outcome and efficiency is about the amount of means (money, raw material, labor hours) it needs to accomplish the outcome. Stephen Covey applied it to activities on a personal level, which is very helpful as well.
You are absolutely right that values and mission are important. Goals need to be aligned to those, that’s an assumption I have left hidden in the sketchcast. I have written about my values, mission and guidelines and goals before.
In the sketchcast I took the arrow as a force, which can be seen as two parts (quite like it’s done in physics). If you’re not doing the right things and you know your goals (or mission). It will feel like “something” is pushing you away from your path. I labeled it resistance, and I mean the resistance you feel inside. I don’t mean resistance that you get from other people. Other people might give this another name.
Did this answer your questions?
This is great info. It’s so relevant, helpful, and well presented that we’ve added a link from the TimeSaverCafe.com. You can find our article here: http://www.timesavercafe.com/blog/articles/more-effective-and-more-efficient-2009-05-13.html
JP for the TimeSaverCafe team
Broken link. This one works: http://revver.com/video/413802/effective-vs-efficient/