Where Should One Direct Their Effort? (Mere Mortals Episode #65 - Effective Vs Efficient)

If you could be 10% more effective or 10% more efficient, which would you prefer? In this themed episode Juan and Kyrin discuss the topic of being 'Effective Vs Efficient'. While closely related, there is actually a big difference between these two ideas. Simply put, being effective is doing the right things (goal orientated) and being efficient is doing things right (process orientated). As always, the Mere Mortal crew begin with their Mere Mortal Moment of the week and really hone in on the definition of these two words (with some practical examples for clarity).

A common way of looking at the two E's is to put them in a matrix. Ideally when trying to accomplish a goal one would be effective and efficient, but sometimes there are trade off's that need to be made. When starting or learning a new venture (such as goal setting or swimming) you will by default be ineffective and inefficient so will have to decide which to tackle first (or even how to do it simultaneously). From a work perspective, the approach and emphasis will also change depending on the context and the hierarchical position of the person. Senior executives tend to focus on the results (i.e., being effective) while the lower managers are more interested in the day to day process (i.e., being efficient).

Taking a step back from the topic is interesting as there are times when it is neither useful to think in terms of effectiveness or efficiency. Both require a forward looking mindset, with varying degrees of time length applied. But sometimes adopting this mindset can actually take the joy and passion out of a pursuit. To quote Kyrin, "I wouldn't want to efficiently speed read books nor try to effectively gain the most value out of them. I gain some benefits from reading but the actual moment to moment experience is just as important."

To sum up, Juan had this to say. "Be efficient and be effective where you need it to be, thinking about it from a goal setting perspective. And sometimes you just need to enjoy yourself in activities." As always, we hope you enjoy, Mere Mortals out!