So how do you increase efficiency? Well, first you have to define efficiency. So what is efficiency?
I looked it up on Google and got the following result supplied by Oxford Languages. Efficiency: ‘noun, the state or quality of being efficient’.
But what does it mean to be efficient? Well, Efficient is defined as ‘achieving maximum productivity with minimum wasted effort or expense.‘
A more ‘efficient’ definition would be, ‘maximum output at lowest input’.
Now that we have a nice workable definition let’s look at how we can increase efficiency in our work or business and actually earn our time off rather than feel it is simply owed to us.
How Do You Increase Efficiency and Increase Productivity?
First, let’s see what harms efficiency? Distractions, lack of planning, missing or damaged tools, loafing, lack of organization, poor filing habits, over complexity, excuses, and the list goes on and on and on and you get my point.
So then there are really two things you have to do to increase efficiency and build a better business.
- Find anything and everything that adds time, energy, cost, movement unnecessarily.
- Get rid of it, stop it, cut it out, put policies in place to guard against it and be disiplined and ruthless about doing so.
It is pretty simple really. To the degree that you are disciplined about following the above two steps, you will become more efficient.
This is the point where I sum up everything with a quote, one of my favorites actually.
“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”
Hans Hofmann