Make The Efficiency Principle Work for You
The efficiency principle states, in my words at least, that the more you are given and the more your plate fills up, the more you can bang out. Surgery volume goes up, yet mortality and morbidity go down—why? You become better at the process, and then it becomes part of your culture. This is Toyota (Lean Six Sigma) at its core. When are you at your best? Is it three weeks before a deadline? Well maybe for some, but for 99 percent of us, we are at our best when the deadline is tomorrow, and still working on your kid’s diorama for art class! Setting deadlines, being organized, and knowing what is important that day or that night are key.
Innovation favors not only the creative but also the starved mind. When there is no choice to fail, the work gets done. Know in your mind that it will all get done as it always has in the past and then plow through.
We get better at things the more we do them and when we have no choice. Innovation favors not only the creative but also the starved mind. When there is no choice to fail, the work gets done. Know in your mind that it will all get done as it always has in the past and then plow through. So, as the ancient Chinese proverb goes, the journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Go take that step.
5 Tips for a More “Efficient” Life
- Don’t let them tell you you can’t. You can do it all! From someone who’s been there and knows it can be done, when your awesome boss/CEO leaves the office at 4:30, so should you. Go home, be with your kids, coach soccer, watch your daughter ice skate. The work will still be there when they’re asleep.
- Harness the power of the fruit. Did you ever have a colleague tell you to shut off when you leave? Of course you did! However, there is plenty of time to answer emails after soccer, when the kids go to bed, or in line at the bank. Use your fruit (whatever fruited device you see fit— Apple, BlackBerry, Blueberry, etc.) to go through those emails that do not require much thought. Triaging, which I learned in my emergency medicine residency, is likely the most important skill I took away from those fun years.
- Collaborate—create the win-win! You can get more done when you collaborate, whether working with medical students, other service chiefs, or the critical care committee. Spread the love and engage others in your work. You will all be more productive, and it really does benefit all parties.
- You gotta love what you’re doing. You are not going to be efficient at anything if you do not really enjoy what you are working on. I remember the time I was doing my thesis work in medical education, looking at consultations out of the emergency department. We went into great detail to train our resident physicians in ways of communication (the five Cs: contact, communicate, core question, collaborate, and close the loop). We randomized them to two groups, rated them, and found the ones who got trained consulted much better. Many a night, I was up listening to recorded conversations and crunching data. When it’s 11 p.m., you’re exhausted, and the NBA playoffs are on, you better love the stuff or else it will sit on the back burner for quite a while.
- Be überproductive at work. I’d rather have the time at home, so I focus on getting all my work done. Decide what’s important to you. If you would rather have time at home with family, then spend your time at work working. Churn through the emails, reading the papers at lunch, signing what you need to sign, and get on home. Don’t be a social leper at work, but again, (see Tip 1) you can do it all!
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