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FALL 2009 |
HEALTHY BODIES | SOUND MINDS | A SAFE PLACE TO WORK |
| CONTENTS Features Maintain Don't Gain Path to Productivity Move from efficient to effective I Have to Take this Call Workplace cell phone etiquette The AHA Weighs in On Sugar Limit dietary “added sugars” Departments The Scoop Thanksgiving myth buster
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Path to Productivity
 WITH TODAY'S shrinking resources,
organizations are working hard to help
employees improve efficiency as a way
to boost productivity. But being efficient
does not necessarily make one more
productive.
At least not according to Timothy
Ferriss, author of The 4-Hour Workweek,
who believes that there’s a difference
between efficiency and effectiveness, and
being effective is a much better professional
goal – and the key to productivity.
He believes that being effective is about
doing the right things versus being efficient,
which is getting good at performing
something – whether it’s important in the
long run or not.
Ferriss believes that being effective
means realigning tasks so you are “doing
the things that get you closer to your
goals,” and prioritizing the “right” tasks
– those that produce the outcomes most
important to your organization. How
do you know which tasks are the right
ones? According to Ferriss, it’s as easy as
Pareto’s Law.
Vilfredo Pareto was a Swiss economist
who, around the turn of the nineteenth
century, developed the mathematical formula
that became known as Pareto’s Law,
or the “80/20 Principle.”
Pareto’s Law – that 80 percent of
desired results come from 20 percent of
the efforts expended –applies to many
workplace outcomes. It can also be said
that 80 percent of problems arise from 20
percent of sources.
According to Ferriss, the 80/20 rule
can help you eliminate inefficiency. To
get started, ask yourself these questions:
Which 20 percent of sources cause 80
percent of problems (and wasted efforts),
and which 20 percent of sources cause 80 percent of desired outcomes? You may
need to group your answers on a sheet of
paper for further analysis. If you find that
you are using less than 80 percent of your
time on activities that relate directly to
desired outcomes, you should reprioritize.
Concentrating on more fruitful tasks
may actually reduce work overload. If
you’ve been concentrating most of your
efforts on low-result/high intensity projects,
you may be feeling overwhelmed and
overworked but not very productive.
Here are some suggestions for increasing
effectiveness at your job.
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