It’s time to end the cult of efficiency.
Instead, we must focus on efficacy.
Make work good for people. A positive aspect of their lives. A place where they can fulfil themselves, grow and develop into their best selves.
Why should we change?
Consider where the focus on efficiency has led us.
Work is sterile, boring and unfulfilling for many people today.
It’s harmful for many and for some, it is actually killing them.
Longer hours, lack of autonomy, repetitive and unchallenging work. This is how most people experience ‘efficiency’. It’s causing rising levels of stress, which brings illness and, in increasing numbers, death.
If that isn’t enough, COVID-19 has shown us that efficiency comes at the cost of resilience. A major disruption causes collapse, or huge emergency costs, or both.
Good work has a natural resilience. People are adaptable, creative, agile and find ways around the problems. They naturally pull together, put in the extra effort and look after each other.
Efficacy for the people is efficacy for the system. Healthy people create a healthy organisation.
So no more about efficiency.
It’s efficacy that matters.
What would make your work more efficacious?