What category do you belong to? Efficient or Effective?

Are you ‘efficient’ or ‘effective’? Are you making a difference? Is it qualitative or quantitative? Are you like the batsman who roars on the field with quick runs, few boundaries and a fast run-rate but gets out fast OR are you that batsman who will be the guard and keep making runs even though others are getting bowled. Are perceived as ‘any time answer’ person or ‘can never go wrong’ performer? Are you that ‘always with me’ type friend or are you ‘someone to ask for query and you get answer’ type friend. What is your type? Or are you ‘both’ ‘all in one character’?

I always get intrigued by these thoughts. Am I efficient or effective or both or none? This is my all-time favourite question. ‘Effective v/s efficient’ terminology always fascinates me. These buzz words are generally taken in the context of workforce management, corporate culture and management gurus speak a lot about it. For me, it’s linked with our daily life very closely.

Out of curiosity, as I keep reading on ‘effective v/s efficient’ I find varied views and explanations. Both the terminologies are linked with ‘producing result’. It’s more about our deliverables. As per Britannica dictionary Effective means ‘producing a result that is wanted’ while efficient means "capable of producing desired results without wasting materials, time, or energy".. Which one is more important – being effective or efficient? Can I be efficient and not effective? It’s a tricky task.

Effectiveness is about doing or using the right things — things that yield positive results. Efficiency is simply about doing things right — i.e., completing a task cheaper or faster.

As a teacher, I take my lessons regularly and make sure students are present in the class. Well done to my efficiency… but have they learnt anything? Has it made any change in their understanding? All that will decide my effectiveness as a teacher.

It’s an interesting exercise to evaluate ourselves and the situation in a neutral manner. Are you a fast performer? Do you reply to emails and messages – within no time? Do you rush to complete? If yes, you are more of an efficient personality.

OR

do you take time to plan and sketch it in your mind before actually doing it? DO you need peace of mind and little calmness to complete the task? DO you end up asking for more time? Do you make sure every element of your task – be it cleaning vegetables or preparing a work presentation is done with perfection? If yes, you are more of effective personality.

What about me? I think I am an efficient personality….no …wait… effective personality. But wait, last week, I appeared to be neither efficient nor effective. I was unprepared, had been late, missed the deadline, didn’t cook – I slept off for hours, binge-watching Netflix, eating at odd hours. Was I effective or efficient? Sorry, I was in the preparatory mode to enter into an effective- efficient zone.

Where do you stand?

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