Every Monday, I ask myself: “What can I do to be more productive?”
Today I realized, subconsciously, I translate this question into a different one: “How can I be more efficient at things that are more effective?”
Here’s my take on these concepts:
Productivity is pure quantity.
There’s GOOD productivity and there’s BAD productivity. The good sort is where quantity meets quality; you’re producing high-quality output (result) that matters, in an efficient way. The bad sort is where you produce output that doesn’t really matter, or you’re wasting a lot of time and energy.
Effectivity is a measure of quality.
Effectivity measures the proportion of your output that works as intended — how much it contributes to the goal.
Efficiency is a measure of cost.
Just because you produce some output, it doesn’t mean you do it well, though it may prove workmanlike. If you are spending tons of resources (input like time, energy, and money) on something great, but it could be done in a way that consumes fewer resources, you’re not efficient.
If, this week, you are able to get more outputs from the same inputs, you are probably doing a great job.
– Nils