A recent session with one of our clients highlighted an important shift in how we approach our work. This client had always prided themselves on how much they could get done. They were known for powering through their workload, feeling accomplished by the number of tasks they crossed off their to-do list.
However, while they were getting a lot done, the actual impact of their work was not as significant as it could be. Despite their impressive productivity, they weren’t seeing the level of success they expected. This realisation that simply completing tasks isn’t the same as being effective, led them to shift their daily goal from being productive to being effective.
Productivity is about the quantity of work completed—the ability to tick off tasks quickly and efficiently. It’s easy to believe that the more you get done, the more successful you’ll be. However, this client came to understand that success isn’t about how much you do but how impactful your actions are.
Effectiveness focuses on the quality of work and the strategic value of the actions taken. It asks the question: Are the tasks you’re completing moving you closer to your goals? For our client, the shift from simply being productive to being effective was eye-opening. They realised that while they were working hard, many of their tasks were not contributing to the long-term success they desired.
Through this insight, the client began to ask themselves important questions:
- What does success look like for me?
- Which actions are most aligned with my goals?
- What tasks are keeping me busy but aren’t contributing to real impact?
By focusing on fewer but more impactful tasks, they found that they could achieve more meaningful results without feeling overwhelmed by a never-ending to-do list. They reduced the number of tasks they were tackling each day, focusing instead on those that truly made a difference.
Here’s why being effective should be your primary focus:
- Impact Over Volume: You can spend all day getting through a list of tasks, but if none of them contribute to your bigger goals, you’re not moving forward. Effectiveness ensures that your actions are strategic and impactful.
- Sustainable Success: Constantly striving to be productive can lead to burnout. Effectiveness, on the other hand, encourages you to be deliberate with your energy, investing it in tasks that yield long-term benefits.
- Clarity in Purpose: Focusing on effectiveness allows you to align your daily efforts with your long-term vision, making your work more purposeful and fulfilling.
How to Shift from Productive to Effective
If you’ve been focusing on productivity but feel like you’re not making the impact you want, here are some ways to shift towards effectiveness.
- Re-evaluate Your Priorities: Look at your to-do list. Are all of your tasks truly necessary, or are some of them just keeping you busy? Focus on the tasks that will bring you closer to your goals.
- Focus on Outcomes, Not Outputs: Don’t just complete tasks for the sake of it. Focus on the results you want to achieve. Are your efforts contributing to those outcomes?
- Create Space for Reflection: Regularly step back and assess your progress. Are you moving in the right direction? What adjustments can you make to focus on being more effective?
Ultimately, the journey from productivity to effectiveness is about redefining what success looks like. It’s about focusing less on how much you’re doing and more on what you’re achieving. For our client, shifting their focus from completing tasks to prioritising effectiveness has transformed their approach. They found that by doing less but focusing on tasks that aligned with their goals, they were able to achieve more significant and lasting success.
As you reflect on your own work habits, consider whether you’re being productive or effective. Are you busy with tasks, or are you taking deliberate actions that drive meaningful results? By focusing on effectiveness, you can achieve greater success and find more fulfilment in your work.