Efficiency is a beautiful word. It’s convenient to insert it into phrases like: “I work as efficiently as possible”, “I need to find an effective solution”, “we increase the efficiency of processes”, “our goal is efficient code”, “Vasya is an effective manager”. But what exactly do we mean by that?
The word effective has two meanings:
- giving effect, effective, allowing to achieve the desired result, further in the text - effective
- optimal, allowing to achieve the desired result with minimal cost, least undesirable effects / errors, cost-effective, organized, with high efficiency, hereinafter referred to as productive
In English, these are two different words: effective and efficient.
- Being effective is about doing the right things, while being efficient is about doing things right.
The differences between these words have been dedicated by many management theorists and practitioners. Let's see what Peter Drucker and Yitzhak Adizes wrote about this.
Peter Drucker. Effective Leader, 1966
The word "effective" is listed in the title of one of Peter Drucker's most famous books. What do you think, in what sense? In the original, everything is clear - Effective Executive. The author devoted a considerable part of the book to the explanation of such a title.
First, who is an executive?
- According to Drucker, this is not necessarily a manager, it can be any employee of the company who does not just follow orders, but makes decisions that have a significant impact on the final result of the organization as a whole.
- To this category he includes all knowledge workers, who, by virtue of their qualifications, are more capable than anyone else in making the right decisions.
- He equates the power of knowledge with the power of office.
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In the world of modern technology, where new things are being developed, it is first and foremost important to be productive. Performance is needed more at the batch production stage, but do not completely forget about it, as it also provides quality.
Questions to the reader:
- What is Agile's first priority?
- What is Waterfall's first priority?
- What conclusion can lead us to the answers to these questions regarding the applicability of these methodologies?