Efficiency in the Workplace

Efficiency is paramount within an organisation that wants to rise above it's competitors. Defining your success is crucial to being efficient in the work place.

In the workplace, it has been my experience that working long hours and being busy are things to be admired. How many people have you heard moan/boast about how they work long hours or have loads to do. It is suggested constantly that the more emails you have the more important you are. Unless you are extremely busy... you are not 'doing your job'. The reason people see these problems as encouragement is because their definition of success has become skewered.

3 key aspects to delivering a good service:

1) Quality of service
2) Good value
3) Efficiently delivered

Now contrary to initial thoughts I think you will find the first two Objectives are achievable by almost any organisation. It is the third objective that is the most elusive and most important for rising above competitors.

Example:

Anyone can learn to cook a soufflé (a technically difficult desert) to a high level of quality. I hear you shout at me "That's not true!". Well actually, if time is not taken into the equation I think that with practice, tutoring and many attempts even I could produce a soufflé of high quality (My cooking skills leave a lot to be desired). But could I get a job in a restaurant as a chef? No. The reason is because chefs are not only able to produce great food but they can do it efficiently!

The definition of efficiency: 'Efficiency in general describes the extent to which time or effort is well used for the intended task or purpose' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efficiency)

This means that the less time and effort it takes you to complete a task, the more efficient you are and therefore the more valuable you are in the world of business. 'Doing your job well' should be the ability to achieve targets with the least time and effort possible.

So why have I chosen 'defining your success' to be the key ingredient in all this?
If you do not have clarity in what you want to achieve you will spend time on activities that do not benefit you achieving your target. It is as simple as that. This is I think the main culprit for people who are too busy all the time. You can be doing the 'best work' but on the wrong thing.

To quote a friend "It is important to keep your eye on where you want to arrive. I mean, how many people do you see walking one way but looking another? and if you do, what normally happens to them?"

-This post was inspired by a great post by Robert Pozen at HBR.com - http://ow.ly/5155g   Listen to the podcast if you have time, it is fantastic.