From my associate, Janice Giannini.
Efficiency is the lifeblood of business. From assembly lines to boardrooms, the pursuit of smoother processes and higher productivity drives innovation and success. Yet, for all its importance, discussions about efficiency often feel predictable. They focus on incremental improvements to tools and workflows, missing deeper, more human layers of the conversation. What about the emotional undercurrents of collaboration? The unseen work that keeps processes running? The messiness that is essential to spark creativity?
By broadening our lens, we can uncover fresh insights into process design to address the persistent barriers that limit progress. Today, we explore four frequently neglected dimensions of process and efficiency. By thinking at deeper levels, organizations can unlock their full potential.
1. The Emotional Intelligence Lens
When we think of process efficiency, we often envision systems: smooth workflows, optimized tools, and clear metrics. What’s missing is the human element, specifically the role of emotional intelligence (EQ) in driving operational success. EQ is the ability to understand and manage emotions, both our own and those of others. While typically associated with leadership or team dynamics, it also profoundly impacts process efficiency.
Processes don’t run in a vacuum; they are about the humans in the loop and rely on people. Teams with high EQ navigate interpersonal challenges with fewer delays and higher morale. Miscommunications can cause costly breakdowns in efficiency. A team with credible emotional awareness can address underlying frustrations before they escalate into conflicts that disrupt workflows.
Processes designed for maximum efficiency can inadvertently create stress. Tight deadlines, rigid workflows, or overemphasizing incomplete metrics can disenfranchise employees. This level of rigidity leads to burnout, reduced productivity, and even turnover—hardly efficient outcomes. Integrating EQ into process design means considering the emotional impact of workflows and building flexibility where needed.
From a practical solution point of view, organizations can cultivate EQ through leadership development, promoting empathy in team interactions, and fostering a culture of psychological safety. Employees who feel heard and valued engage more fully, driving smoother processes.
2. The “Invisible Work” Perspective/Lens
Every efficient process has a hidden foundation: the invisible work that supports its success. This invisible work includes emotional labor, informal knowledge sharing, and the countless small tasks that often go unnoticed and are critical to a smooth workflow.
Why does invisible work matter? Consider a team that runs a high-stakes product launch. While the visible process might include deadlines, deliverables, and roles, real efficiency hinges on invisible efforts. A senior team member mentoring a junior colleague or a manager mediating tensions behind the scenes might save hours of missteps and confusion. These behaviors can be the difference between success and failure.
Traditional performance metrics do not include this invisible work, consequently undervaluing it. One significant example of overlooked invisible work is emotional labor, which disproportionately affects women and minorities. Organizations must investigate these contributions to take advantage of opportunities to strengthen processes.
To elevate the invisible, companies can adopt systems that track and reward invisible work to address this, such as recognizing mentorship or creating knowledge-sharing platforms. Highlighting and supporting these contributions ensures they don’t fall through the cracks, improving overall efficiency.
3. The Role of Chaos and Creativity in Process Design
Efficiency is typically associated with order, but the most effective processes often incorporate elements of chaos and creativity. Controlled chaos, periods of disruption or experimentation, can challenge rigid structures and yield innovative solutions that traditional methods overlook.
Over-optimization has unintended consequences. Processes designed to be perfectly efficient can have undesirable unintended consequences. They need more room for adaptability and creativity, essential in today’s fast-changing business environment. An over-optimized workflow might excel in routine tasks but collapse under the weight of an unexpected challenge.
Organizations can intentionally disrupt their processes through hackathons, brainstorming sprints, or cross-functional collaboration. These disruptive actions frequently discover breakthroughs, creating a safe space for employees to question the status quo, experiment with new ideas, and identify previously invisible inefficiencies. Stepping out of the zone is necessary to harness chaos for innovation.
Consider the tech company that encourages employees to spend 20% of their time on passion projects or the design firm that rethinks workflows during innovation workshops. Some organizations set up separate teams in different locations, releasing them from the day-to-day constraints. These practices inject fresh ideas into static systems. By balancing structure with chaos, businesses can create processes that are not only efficient but also resilient and innovative.
4. The Barriers to Process and Efficiency
Despite our best intentions, efficiency efforts often need to catch up. What stands in the way? Understanding these barriers, from cognitive biases to organizational culture, is critical to designing better processes.
Human biases, such as the sunk cost fallacy or confirmation bias, often hinder efficiency. Teams may cling to inefficient processes simply because they’ve invested significant time or resources.
Overcoming these biases requires a willingness to evaluate existing workflows, even when it’s uncomfortable critically.
Even the best-designed process improvements can fail if employees resist them. This resistance often stems from fear of change, failure, or loss of autonomy. Creating a culture of trust and open communication is essential to overcoming this hurdle.
Processes naturally grow more complex over time, especially in large organizations. This “complexity creep” can erode efficiency, making once-effective workflows cumbersome and outdated. Regular audits and simplification efforts are essential to combat this issue.
Practical strategies to break through barriers include:
- Conducting root-cause analyses to identify bottlenecks.
- Empowering employees to challenge inefficient norms.
- Seeking outside perspectives to uncover blind spots.
By addressing these barriers head-on, organizations can unlock greater efficiency and foster continuous improvement.
Summary
Companies often treat process and efficiency as purely technical challenges through the lens of better tools and tighter workflow. But efficiency is, at its core, a human undertaking. By exploring the emotional dynamics of teamwork, recognizing invisible work, embracing controlled chaos, and addressing systemic barriers, organizations can take a more holistic approach to improvement.
Efficiency isn’t just about doing things faster or cheaper—it’s about creating processes that empower people to do their best work. It balances structure and creativity, visibility and acknowledgment, logic, and emotion. By rethinking efficiency through these lenses, businesses can achieve higher productivity and greater resilience, innovation, and employee satisfaction. Ultimately, the most efficient process works with people, not against them.