You can be efficient with things but you can only be effective with people
I really love my clients…they are all so eclectic and so varied. They have a unique way of thinking and my role as their guide is always interesting, stimulating and challenging.
This past week presented an unusual opportunity and I wanted to share it with you. It reminded me of one of my favorite management aphorisms — “You can be efficient with things but you can only be effective with people.”
This particular CEO is remarkably gifted. He can see both the vision of where he wishes to go and he knows the steps he must take to get there. When someone is this gifted, he or she tends to move faster than those around him. This particular leader is busy – no make that very busy. He’s always onto the next plan and how to lead the team there. Fortunately, he builds his team with equally fast thinkers and implementers so he is very effective in producing results.
But when he does demos of his products, he speeds through them. You can almost sense a palpable catching of the breath on the other side of the web ex or go to meeting demo as his audience tries to keep up. And frankly they can’t…which brings us to today’s aphorism.
Efficiency is about time, effectiveness is about getting the result that you want.
You can speed up equipment, you can accelerate a process but no matter what you try, people will ALWAYS learn at their own pace. Understanding this human element is critical to being effective whether it be in presentation, motivation, education or just plain-old discussion…and it certainly applies to every relationship that is worth building.
“You can be efficient with things but you can only be effective with people.”
Explore posts in the same categories: Hiring, Leadership, Sales, Strategic Plans, Strategy, VisioningTags: Aphorisms, Business Strategy, Decision Making, Effectiveness, efficiency, Hiring, Leadership, Management, Productivity, Relationships, Sales, Strategy, Success, training, Transition Team, Vision
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