(Distinctions are subtleties of language that, when gotten, cause a shift in a belief, behavior, value or attitude.)
The notion of being efficient has been around since the 1950’s and is accepted as a valid business focus. It’s useful to look for ways to improve your efficiency.
To be effective is even more powerful because when you are effective you are actually producing results.
Efficient is doing things right. Effective is doing the right things. It matters not if you’re good at something, if the something you’re good at is the wrong something. To be the world’s best producer of 33 1/3 rpm vinyl records in a world going to CD’s is not effective.
This is not to say that you need not be efficient, do be. Just don’t think that efficient alone will get you what you want.
Copyright 1997 Steve Straus. All rights reserved.
