One question I am often asked is “given that you are always going on about effectiveness, what’s the difference between efficiency, productivity and effectiveness?”
The easiest way to answer the question is with an example. Let’s take the health service.
A productive health service sees as many patients as possible during the time available.
An efficient health service sees only the patients that need to be seen and the cures them as quickly as possible.
An effective health service sees very few or no patients at all. The objective of a health service should not be to cure people but to keep them healthy in the first place. An effective health service concentrates on the objective (health) and therefore far fewer people get sick.
We can see from this being effective involves knowing the ultimate goal. For the health service the goal should be health.
In our own lives we can see this.
Productive people / processes get lots done in the time available. (Busy people).
Efficient people / processes get things done using the fewest resources, quickest machines and get things done with the minimum effort. (Busy people who achieve a lot).
Effective people / processes achieve the objective or goal without distraction and then use the rest of the time / resources to do something else (or nothing!!). (Happy people who achieve their objectives).
Which do you want to be? Efficient, productive or effective?
You decide.
If you want to look at this further we have both manufacturing and service simulations to enable everyone to be more effective then please contact us for details – https://www.wellsassoc.co.uk/contact/
If you want to receive our regular blogs please subscribe at http://www.wellsassoc.co.uk