Productivity (Efficiency) versus Resilience (Sustainability)
I understand the drive to do more with less. In business, we should eliminate waste, reduce distractions, and maintain a core focus, dedicating all our resources to achieving our goals. I often say it’s better to do one thing at 100% than 100 things at 1%. The former is likely to result in success, while the latter is likely to lead to failure.
As a former athlete and now coach, I fully understand the need to be efficient and effective in terms of technique and application, whether in swimming, running, cycling, or rowing. You want all your energy directed toward your goals, which means being super efficient in performance, diet, sleep, flexibility, and all aspects of your lifestyle. Multi-sport disciplines are more of a lifestyle choice than a pastime.
However, I’m cautious about being overly efficient to the point of burnout, with no contingency, slack, rest, or recovery.
In offshore kayaking, it may not be efficient to carry flares, VHF radio, spare clothes, and extra food in terms of paddling speed. However, I prefer the added weight and safety margin. Even if unused, these items contribute to resilience and sustainability.
In work, you might get the work of five people done by two, but this creates key person dependency and risk. If one person is ill and the other is on holiday, your entire business can come to a halt. We recently saw many worldwide businesses halt due to their lack of resilience and dependence on a few elements. In their pursuit of efficiency and productivity, they didn’t test things before implementation, didn’t have backups, Plan B, or contingencies, all considered extra time or cost.
We must be careful with productivity. There’s no point in being productive on something that doesn’t matter or efficient about a task that shouldn’t be done. If you look at master craftspeople, the time they invest in their craft may seem unproductive. Their investment in teaching and training the next generation might not seem productive in the short term, but we need a longer-term view.
The British economy, pre-Brexit, suffered from relying on imported skills, particularly in trades, rather than fostering its own apprenticeships. It was seen as more efficient to hire someone ready to work than to train someone. Post-Brexit, we face a skills shortage, showing we’re no longer efficient or productive because we didn’t invest in our own capabilities, relying instead on comparatively cheap labor.
I see the point in being efficient and effective. I certainly don’t want to work harder than necessary, whether at my desk or in my kayak. However, it’s crucial to consider quality, resilience, and sustainability. Time spent on practicing contingencies, apprenticeships, and deep learning should not be eliminated from our schedules. Otherwise, we risk becoming fragile, brittle, exposed, vulnerable, and potentially extinct.