Real Deal REInvestor Network

Being Effective vs. Being Efficient

Effectiveness is doing the things that get you closer to your goals.

Efficiency is performing a given task (whether important or not)

in the most economical manner possible. Being efficient without

regard to effectiveness is the default mode of the universe.

I would consider the best door-to-door salesperson efficient—

that is, refined and excellent at selling door-to-door without wasting

time—but utterly ineffective. He or she would sell more using a better

vehicle such as e-mail or direct mail.

This is also true for the person who checks e-mail 30 times per

day and develops an elaborate system of folder rules and sophisticated

techniques for ensuring that each of those 30 brain farts

moves as quickly as possible. I was a specialist at such professional

wheel-spinning. It is efficient on some perverse level, but far from

effective.
by Timothy Ferris