This Nip Impressions was another great reminder of the differentiation between “efficient” (doing things right) and “effective” (doing the right things). You are so correct; under the guise of moving the ball forward, managers oftentimes forget that maintaining scope and budget and achieving expected results are equal facets to schedule in creating a jewel of a project.
Recall the story of the crew chopping their way through the jungle when one of the crew told the foreman that it appeared they may be going in the wrong direction. The boss replied, “We’re making excellent progress; just keep chopping”.
Missing the target but doing it with speed and efficiency seldom moves one’s career in the desired direction and certainly does little to keep the invoice printer spinning.
Edward A. Turner
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