I was walking around the campus of the school where I used to be principal, and I was struck by how drab it now looks. Sadly, this decline was already beginning when I left that position 10 years ago. During the time I was employed there, decisions were often made to increase efficiency or convenience, particularly in the most budget-lean years. A tree would die, and its spot would be cemented over. Planters filled with air-filtering plants were covered with wood and painted over because they required maintenance.
Efficiency is usually about saving money, either to increase profit margins or fit necessary operations into a shrinking budget. Efficiency thinking is everywhere; we are encouraged to clean our homes in less time, order pre-made meals, whiten our teeth in 5 minutes a day.
But efficiency as a goal can be misguided. What I’ve noticed is a tendency to complain and respond to an immediate financial situation, but not improve circumstances with an eye toward the future. Efficiency thinking is not imaginative, and it does not focus on long-term success. The tree example is a simple one: Planting a small native tree would cost under $100. It would not require watering after just a few months and would provide shade and aesthetic benefit for students and staff for years to come. Cement contributes to overall heat retention while adding nothing to the overall life of the campus. It is only “efficient” in the short term.
Here’s an example that is larger-scale. In one organization, a decision was made to centralize marketing and communications services. Positions were plucked from other departments as seeds for the new department. Those affected by the loss of colleagues were very upset, and for their objections, they were labeled “resistant to change.” In a few months’ time, the new department set up an expensive ticket system for others in the organization to use to access their work. Staff in departments whose daily work depended on these services immediately experienced a lack of responsiveness from the new department—forcing them to turn to outside vendors to meet production deadlines. How is that efficient?
Centralization also meant that prioritization was established only through the new department’s eyes. Many members of the department were new to the organization, and their priority was placed on outward-facing projects rather than internal processes. Not only did they not fully understand the inner workings of the organization; they made no move to learn. Centralization, created in the name of efficiency, became a bottleneck for those in the trenches who needed to get their work done.
Now don’t get me wrong. I believe in setting up processes that streamline our work and continuous improvement through data analysis and feedback. But once a more efficient process or methodology is implemented, it must be evaluated regularly to determine if the performance goals are met.
One of my recent reads was a book called The End of Average: How to Succeed in a World the Values Sameness, by Todd Rose. The book is filled with examples describing situations where our penchant for efficiency by using “averages” is actually harmful—even fatal, in one case covered in the book. For example, using data to derive averages to identify what is best for the average consumer, is an efficiency tool meant to cut costs and reduce time. But, as the book explains, these strategies do not lead to a better business or a better world.
How does all this lead to the formation of a leadership stone?
1. Improving efficiency is not a goal but a tool to consider when looking at the bigger picture of what’s best.
If we make efficiency the goal, we can easily lose sight of the important work we are doing. Too many short-term solutions can deter our focus on long-term success.
2. Looking for greater efficiency needs to parallel your organization’s mission, vision, and values.
Too often, we leave off talk of our organization’s guide stones in order to fix an immediate problem. Wouldn’t it be amazing if finding a solution to a problem were framed by the bigger picture? This kind of thinking will lead to more creative, sustainable solutions.
Efficiency has its place in any organization. Solutions that help us optimize existing skills and timelines are valuable. But if we lead with efficiency as the sole goal, we will miss opportunities for sustainable growth. Achieving balance between these opportunities will serve us best.