Be Efficient with things but effective with people!!

I constantly meet Managers and others who have difficulty getting the best out of the people they work with and those who report to them.

I also meet people who are tremendous workers and their productivity with the “things of the job” is outstanding but…….

Effective with people

Over time I have realised that some people are naturally effective in their dealings with people. They seem to be able to get the best out of people, are well liked and manage their team very well. Such people instinctively adopt a position of being effective…

This means that they:

• Take time to explain things to people
• Use the “right time” to interact with people ie when someone is unhassled and not likely to be interrupted or in the middle of something
• Schedule meetings effectively
• Are generally kind and positive in their dealings

Efficient with things

Being Efficient always relates to things:

• Do the accounts before time,
• Reply to email quickly,
• Process mail quickly.

In all these instances the object of the work will not be upset at how it is dealt with, so efficiency rules. Those who are good at this too  often try to be efficient with people and it doesn’t work….just think about the last time you were speaking with somebody and engaging with them, eye contact, good body language and they are talking with you while they take messages or look at the phone.. they are trying to be effective and efficient and it doesn’t work! Even worse they don’t know why it doesn’t work!

In the world of work, we need to be both efficient and effective. So to be both just make sure you do your best to not be efficient with people as this is a pathway to ineffective management of people and interpersonal interactions with anybody.