I’ve been thinking lately about measuring outputs and their corresponding outcomes. I’ve concluded that there are basically four levels of output. These can be best understood as activity, productivity, effectiveness, and attractiveness.
Activity implies busyness, but that doesn’t necessarily mean productivity. It is possible to be active but not productive, busy but not achieve meaningful results (we’ve all had days like that, right?).
Well-managed activity will likely eventually lead to productivity, but productivity cannot be assumed purely on the grounds of activity. Activity without productivity is ultimately wasted energy.
Productivity is best understood as the results achieved by our activity, but productivity doesn’t automatically imply effectiveness. In fact, it is possible to be both active and productive but ineffective.
You can spend a lot of time and energy achieving results that don’t matter or don’t align with your original intentions.
Effectiveness should, therefore, be understood as maximising the full potential of a given opportunity. It can be measured in terms of achieving the results that matter, i.e., the kind of results that translate into significant change and growth for your organisation or team and/or the results that you set out to achieve in the first place.
When evaluating performance, ask yourself whether you are measuring all three and, most importantly, whether you have moved beyond mere activity and productivity to achieve true effectiveness.
Finally, a fourth consideration is Attractiveness. This aspect encourages us to consider what kind of organisation, corporate culture, and people we create.
Are we becoming attractive as we become active, productive, and effective? Is our culture healthy? Are our values worth embracing? Is our approach to business ethical? Are we the kind of people others want to be or at least be with? Are we sought after in our industry or field for all the right reasons?
Many people and organisations can legitimately say that they have moved well beyond activity and productivity into the realm of effectiveness. Still, they have done so in immoral, illegal, and/or unattractive ways. The end doesn’t justify the means, and how we achieve our results is as important as the results themselves.
At the end of the day, we want to become better people who build better businesses and organisations and create a better world for all.
Piet
Well said Tim !! I agree 👍