Challenging the Process in Workplace Efficiency: Why It Matters

There’s a story that’s been passed down for generations. A newly married couple
prepares their first pot roast together. One partner cuts the ends off the roast before
putting it in the pan. The other asks, “Why? That’s wasteful.” The response: “That’s how
I was taught.” The in-laws who taught the method didn’t know either. Finally, the
grandmother explained it: “I cut the ends off because the roast wouldn’t fit in the pan.”

This is a classic example of appealing to tradition—doing something simply because
“that’s the way it’s always been done.” And we will keep doing it that way until someone
has the courage to ask, “Why?”

I was the same way with mowing. I grew up mowing grass the only way I knew how—by
watching and repeating. I didn’t know there were better methods. It wasn’t until I worked
alongside professionals at top-level resorts, golf courses, and properties that I learned
best practices. Exposure changed my understanding.

This distinction highlights the difference between effectiveness and efficiency.
Effectiveness is about results—like producing a great pot roast or a beautiful property.
Efficiency is about the process: time, effort, money, and resources. We all want better
results with fewer inputs. In the pot roast example, the result may have been fine, but
the process was inefficient.

Knowing best practices isn’t enough. A leader must train them, examine them, correct
them, and hold teams accountable for quality outcomes. Doing unnecessary work is one
of the greatest forms of inefficiency. Working harder instead of smarter leads to wasted
time, more errors, higher injury rates, and ultimately burnout.

We call this “the grind”—work that is exhausting, repetitive, and low in quality. It’s costly,
too. Disengaged employees cost organizations up to $1.9 trillion annually in lost
productivity.

Over the years, I’ve had to teach my crews the difference between efficiency and
effectiveness in mowing and edging. Many insisted on using string trimmers to edge
lawns because that’s how they were taught. But string trimmers are designed for hard-
to-reach areas—not for creating clean, 90-degree edges. That’s why edgers exist.
Through hands-on training and time in the field, they learned the right process. The
result? Safer work, better efficiency, and properties that look great.

As Maya Angelou said, “When you know better, you do better.”

So why does workplace efficiency matter? Yes, it reduces waste, errors, and accidents.
But for me, the greatest value is mental freedom. Efficient systems allow leaders to think
creatively, innovate, and better serve both customers and employees.

Just like the pot roast, progress begins by asking “Why?”

What’s one process in your workplace that needs that question?

Ask it. Then train it.

Keep asking “Why.”

Jeff