Lets say for a moment you plan a hiking trip to climb Pikes Peak Mountain in Colorado. Pikes Peak is one of the dozens of “14ers” in Colorado. A 14er is classified as a mountain that meets or exceeds 14,000 feet above sea level. Your goal is to reach the summit of Pikes Peak. You have done your research and prepare for the hike. You have a light pack that you will carry, and in it you have all the necessary gear designed for light weight and efficiency. You have also done some physical training prior to the climb to insure you are in good shape and to contribute to the success of your climb. It is early in the morning and off you go. The air is crisp and clean and you are off to a great start. You feel good and are making great time.You eat, drink a bit of water and continue on. You come to a false summit and realize you are not there yet, but on schedule and should be there soon. Because of your preparation and stamina you have a successful climb. You see the summit and your so excited to achieve your goal and all that you have worked for. You get to the top and look at the sign and…..you have climbed the wrong mountain. Instead of climbing Pikes Peak you actual have climbed Longs Peak.
Effective VS Efficient
Effective: 1. producing a result that is wanted : having an intended effect 2. successful in producing a desired or intended result.
Efficient: 1. (esp. of a system or machine) achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense. 2. (of a person) working in a well-organized and competent way.
You see, many people think that if they work efficiently that they will get their desired results. Many times when that doesn’t happen, they wonder what went wrong. They prepare correctly and executed correctly and in a very efficient way, the problem is, they were climbing the wrong mountain.
If your desired result was to reach the summit of Pikes Peak, you clearly didn’t achieve your goal. No matter how efficient you were in the task, you missed the mark.
The flip side of this is if you are effective but don’t have any efficiency then it may take you an extra long time to reach your goal. You don’t necessarily want this either. A balance of both is crucial to realizing your goal in a decent amount of time.
This is also one of the differences between leaders and managers. Leaders tend to be on the right mountain and managers tend to prepare for and execute an efficient hike. Many times you have to play both roles in your business but ideally if you lean one way or the other, then finding another team member who has what you don’t have is a recipe for success.
Knowing the difference between effectiveness and efficiency and also how they work together is key. Take time to evaluate your goals and make sure your daily tasks align with whatever it is that you are trying to accomplish. Make course corrections as necessary and keep moving forward!
Jamie Lazar
Investor, Entrepreneur
Sources: LinkedIn
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