If you\u2019re working in a leadership position, there\u2019s a high probability that improving employee productivity is one of your biggest objectives.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t worry, you\u2019re in good company. According to a study in the UK, the average employee spends less than three hours a day<\/a> doing actual work. Similarly, companies in the United States are losing an estimated $550 billion every year<\/a> to low productivity, leaving managers scrambling to find ways to ensure work is being completed on time. Yikes.<\/p>\n The common solution to low productivity is efficiency. If employees can work more efficiently, they can maximize the time they have. This makes sense considering how research indicates that our brains maintain concentration in cycles<\/a>, which is why many psychologists and productivity specialists suggest taking scheduled breaks for a much needed mental recharge.<\/p>\n There\u2019s even a productivity system based on this ideology known as the Pomodoro Technique<\/a>.<\/p>\n But what if we\u2019re focusing too much on efficiency when we should be looking at effectiveness as well? <\/em><\/p>\n In this post, we\u2019re going to look at the differences between efficiency and effectiveness as well as how you can leverage both to help your teams maximize productivity<\/a>.<\/p>\n Get started with monday.com<\/a><\/p>\n Efficiency and effectiveness are both related to productivity, but in different ways.<\/p>\n Efficiency<\/strong> refers to how we execute our tasks. When we work efficiently, we use less time<\/a>, resources, and\/or human effort to do our job.<\/p>\n Effectiveness<\/strong> looks at the quality of the results we achieve. If an employee is effective, they\u2019ll consistently reach goals and objectives like delivering high quality-work or making sales.<\/p>\n Think of it like this:<\/p>\n It\u2019s possible to work inefficiently and still be effective. An employee may deliver a report that\u2019s filled with valuable data that can help your department make more informed decisions (effective), but if they missed their deadline because they wasted time during the research process, that\u2019s inefficient.<\/p>\n On the other hand, one can also be efficient and ineffective. An example of this would be an employee who came up with a system for responding to emails more quickly (efficient), but failed to include important information in those emails (ineffective).<\/p>\n You can probably see why efficiency and effectiveness are both important traits. After all, what\u2019s the purpose of optimizing resources if you\u2019re delivering subpar work? And how effective are you really being if your work is consistently behind schedule? Real productivity isn\u2019t achieved without first striking the right balance between efficiency and effectiveness.<\/p>\n Achieving the right level of efficiency and effectiveness starts with the leadership. Everyone from company executives to junior leadership plays a role in setting the company culture, and when your primary goals are to cut costs and minimize turnaround time, you prioritize efficiency over effectiveness.<\/p>\n Conversely, when you\u2019re encouraging teams to follow rigid work guidelines that reduce errors, but end up wasting a lot of time along the way, you\u2019re not creating a culture of efficiency.<\/p>\n Neither of these scenarios are good for your business.<\/p>\n If either of these scenarios reminds you of the team you\u2019re managing, you\u2019ll need to make some changes. The good news is promoting better efficiency and effectiveness isn\u2019t rocket science\u2013\u2013it\u2019s not even that difficult. You just need to create and maintain <\/strong>a workplace environment that values both.<\/p>\n Get started<\/a><\/p>\n As a team leader, it\u2019s your job to ensure your employees are achieving company goals and objectives. If they\u2019re not reaching those goals, you should put a system in place that helps them work more efficiently and effectively.<\/p>\n Raluca Apostol, the co-founder of tech company Nestor<\/a>, says that efficiency and effectiveness take some serious work–and that employees often need help getting on the right track. \u201cIf your team members lose your focus quickly, help them build healthy habits in maintaining it, like using time management tools, having an accountability partner, or by using productivity systems like <\/em>Eat that Frog<\/em><\/a>,\u201d <\/em>she said.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not enough to encourage your team to be more efficient and effective–you need to take some extra steps to set them up for success, too. Most workers aren\u2019t intentionally being inefficient and ineffective. They just need a little extra help with improving the way they execute and complete assignments.<\/p>\n Here are some ways you can give them a nudge in the right direction:<\/p>\n Rewards are an excellent way to motivate employees to work more efficiently. Reward efficient (and effective!) work via bonuses, extra vacation days, or anything else you can think of that would make for a compelling incentive. You can even reward your entire team with a half-day if everyone meets their efficiency goals.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t limit training to the onboarding stage. Hold scheduled training events to discuss ways to work more efficiently and effectively. This is a great way to help employees get refreshers on important information they might have forgotten, and you can use this time to introduce new concepts they can use to help make work easier.<\/p>\n Kanban boards<\/a> bring more accountability and transparency to the workplace by showing who\u2019s working on which tasks and how long it\u2019s taken to complete those tasks. This can give your employees a sense of ownership over their assignments, which can motivate them to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of their work.\u00a0 Read here for an evaluation of engineering productivity<\/a> and efficiency.<\/p>\n Get started<\/a><\/p>\n Happy employees are far more efficient<\/a> and effective than unhappy ones. You can boost the mood around the office by:<\/p>\n Oh, and stop micromanaging.<\/p>\n This is important. If you want your employees to work more efficiently, let them know. Tell them how much work they should complete within an average shift and give them tips for delivering that work efficiently. If there\u2019s a problem with their effectiveness, point out the issues and explain to them how to improve the quality of their work.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve implemented a system for improving effectiveness and efficiency, set up weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly meetings to measure your team\u2019s progress.<\/p>\nHead to head: Efficiency versus effectiveness<\/h2>\n
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Efficiency or effectiveness?<\/h2>\n
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Tips for improving efficiency and effectiveness<\/h2>\n
Incentivize efficiency<\/h3>\n
Keep the training process ongoing<\/h3>\n
Introduce a team Kanban board<\/h3>\n
Create a positive work environment<\/h3>\n
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Let your employees know what\u2019s expected of them<\/h3>\n
Getting the most out of your team<\/h2>\n