Efficiency vs. Effectiveness

Jennifer Zurko

Sometimes, when I need inspiration to write this column, I just start Googling a word or phrase. I only have to write 12 of these a year—which you would think would be easy—but it’s hard to put a different spin on something that tends to be a common topic in our industry. Like greenhouse efficiency, which is our theme for this issue.

So I just typed in “efficiency” in the search bar and a bunch of stuff came up—everything from heating and cooling systems to “clutter coaches” that help you be less of a hoarder, and, of course, the definition of what “efficiency” means.

I’m a Wikipedia junkie, so I clicked on that link. What I found to be interesting was that people tend to confuse “efficiency” with “effectiveness.” A common phrase is, “Efficiency is doing things right, while effectiveness is doing the right things.” One business author said this basically says the goals of the process are just as important as the quality of the process, which isn’t always the case.

The phrase should really be: “Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is getting things done,” meaning effectiveness can also be achieved through inefficient processes. They gave the example of downloading music: you can record music that’s playing on your computer to your smartphone using the microphone, but it’s more efficient to download it directly from the computer. Both ways are an effective way of putting music on your phone, but one is way more efficient. (And has much better sound quality.)

These days, improving your efficiency can possibly make or break your year. Whether it’s adding a new machine or technology, incorporating lean flow techniques or using double screening, there are lots of options for you to try and make your business more efficient and your life a little easier—which would be very effective indeed.

Oh, and once you’re done reading those articles, read Bill Swanekamp’s and Chris Beytes’ columns about how our industry is facing new winds of change, and if you’re not staying ahead of it, you’ll be blown down by them. GT