Emergencies, Efficiency And Effectiveness Combine To Create Achievement

Achievement is mostly a mix of three entities - Emergencies revealing our priority; Efficiency optimizing our efforts; and, Effectiveness putting us in the right direction.

I have seen in most cases people's biggest decisions that inadvertently turned out to be correct and their success have usually come when they are put in a 'no-option' situation that creates an emergency for them to act and take the risk. They are pushed into a situation where new alternatives are to be looked at and creative options all of a sudden seem so correct to do.

While most times, the situations are created externally, a couple of times these emergencies are created by oneself that propels one to take that initiative. For example, the starting of most big companies happened when the founders created the urgency for themselves. With no income source and nothing to look back upon they had to make things work, where their hunger and desire to succeed made them take the decision. Hence, it's always better to create your own mental emergency and take the risk and make things happen when you still have the option of taking that risk.

One needs to accept the fact that others will not and need not have to understand your reason for action. If you create your own emergency to do something different then there will be people who will wonder why you did what you did, and accept the fact that you did. Nonetheless these are important decisions and decisions should be taken only after evaluating all possibilities, consequences, a transition process and all possible next steps; these are decisions that are bound to be taken right now.

This reminds me of a time when I would everyday have this dog run behind my motor bike. He may be efficient but even if he caught up with me would he be effective? Was his effort of running behind the motor bike meeting any objective? The dog may have been efficient but may not be effective. This unfortunately reminds us about ourselves. Running behind things, trying to run fast, trying to be on time, trying to do it in the most efficient way and then questioning ourselves if we are really meant to do all this?

Another story that resonates the need for thinking out-of-the-box. At a large manufacturing set up there was a need for a service engineer as the organization just could not get the assembly line operational. The equipment manufacturer had given up and could not solve the problem. They finally got one of the service companies send in their expert and after some looking around he tapped the equipment gears and the assembly line was back to life. When he sent his invoice, the company was surprised to find a bill for $10,000/- for the paltry service! On asking for the invoice breakup they received the invoice that read, Article 1: Travel Expenses - $500/- Article 2: Knowing where to tap the equipment - $9,500/-

This service engineer was not necessarily efficient but he was effective. Just like the smart engineer, for happiness, success or whatever we want to achieve Effectiveness precedes Efficiency. Knowing what to do, what should be given priority and the time and place to do it, is all part of Effectiveness. It may not be planned but our experience and learning over time, while getting the right mentors in all aspects of life can allow us to move towards being effective, and hence be greatly successful.

After all, Emergencies reveal our priority, Efficiency optimizes our effort, Effectiveness guides us to the right direction; and a combination of these three factors creates Achievement that is realized by the Attitude that we have.