Do you also feeling sick of 'Effectiveness' & 'Efficiency' words? – Let's finally talk it through.

Introduction to Frustration ??

I don't know how you feel about 'E'-words, or what your role is, but even though I've never written code or design for commercial purposes, I can empathize with engineers, QAEs, UI, and UX designers. It's an easy task once you notice the way their eyes twitch at those words... This frustration with 'E' words is just the start, but it connects to a much bigger issue in how teams are managed and driven toward productivity.

When someone comes to your team with a task to 'increase productivity, performance, and efficiency,' it doesn't feel like a great idea at all. I often hear things like: 'I'm sick of it,' 'It feels like we're all doing nothing here,' or 'When someone comes to improve effectiveness, it seems like we're all broken and just need to be fixed, patched, or squeezed at the end of the day, or else we'll perform low and slow.' But while it's easy to see why employees feel this way, there's another side to the story from the perspective of managers themselves.

On the other hand, I hear a lot about managers being called useless ticket-movers and micromanagers, and there's some truth to it. Just yesterday, I met a data engineer, and after 20-40 minutes, he finally said something like, 'Wow, you're a pretty unusual manager. You know tech, you can offer deep suggestions, and you actually understand my job, which is surprising.' This conversation got me thinking about what it really takes to manage effectively, especially in a tech-driven environment.

Most managers I've seen were far from the point where I would trust them to work with people, but that's just my tiny imaginary management heaven. And unfortunately, this isn't just a personal observation—it's a widespread issue. Many managers rely too much on flawed methods.

Metrics Over People ?? vs. ??

Savvy readers might already see where we're heading, and I'll try to skip all the sh*t about metrics, unit management, etc. It's not a competition to write the longest article. However, even though I won’t dive into every technical detail, the overuse of metrics and 'busy work' often distracts managers from what really matters: supporting their teams.

It’s a frustrating reality that 60-70% of managers ruin scrum by closing tickets and reopening them in new sprints just to keep 'done' Story Points counted, using street magic ??? to keep KPIs looking good and make reports that give top management the illusion that everything's under control. Hah. You know what? That's something I am sick of, really! But there's a better way—a way that actually drives real improvement and results. ??

Empowerment Ahead ??

In real life, with real people, the best way to raise those 'E's is to help people: remove unnecessary meetings, cut redundant discussions, build decision-making frameworks for your teams, and give them as much autonomy as you can. Always be there when you can speed things up, facilitate, or make decisions quickly—preferably asynchronously, so you're not blocking anyone. This approach shifts the focus away from micromanagement and metrics, toward something much more effective: empowering your team. ??

That's the real magic. It means that as a manager, a person required to be a completely different kind of thinker—building ways to eliminate every unnecessary step, building trust, and delegating responsibility. By thinking this way, you create an environment where your team can thrive on their own ??, rather than relying on constant oversight ??.

Strategic Leadership ??

Focus more on overseeing trends than on controlling procedures—only monitor the necessary milestones and help teammates understand the goals better and deeper, rather than just slicing tasks into smaller pieces and controlling their delivery. By making this shift, you're not just reducing your workload, you're actually making your team more effective. ?

This is the only way to achieve real results and maximize 'E&E'—by empowering, coaching, helping, simplifying, making your team's daily work more comfortable, and building their confidence in decision-making. But becoming this kind of manager isn’t easy—it requires personal growth and overcoming some deep-seated fears.

Personal Barriers ??

The savviest readers here might notice how many psychological barriers a manager has to overcome in life to gain the deep confidence needed to act this way. These barriers often stop managers from stepping back and trusting their teams, but overcoming them is crucial to real leadership. ??

Many people don't say it (and we know why), but they think, 'They'll decide I'm useless if I act like that.' ?? But they're completely wrong—it's actually the complete opposite in reality. In reality, giving your team more autonomy proves your value as a leader by fostering a more self-sufficient and capable group.

Basically, you won't work any less as a leader, manager, or coach. You'll just work in a different way. Your focus will shift to other things, and your team will become much more self-sufficient, even without your close attention. This shift also allows you to focus on bigger, more strategic decisions.

My outcomes ??

I could take a 1-1.5 month vacation, and nothing would break. I'm truly proud of that. I won’t go into how long it took to run teams or organizations smoothly enough for that, but I'll say this: after you build routines and your teams are working like clockwork, that's just the beginning. Once your team reaches this level of autonomy, your role evolves into something far more strategic.

You shift your focus to a long-term perspective, where the cost of decisions becomes much more significant. You'll consider, observe, and search for the next steps more carefully and wisely.

As one of my best employers said a few years ago: 'Ilya, I've seen a lot of people in my life, and very few of them can truly manage—no more than 5%.' Now I would say that to pass this threshold, you have to break through certain barriers within yourself to evolve and change your mindset.

Conclusion ??

Maybe we'll dig into that a little later, as it's more about psychology or therapy than just management. But dear reader, show me your interest, and I'll think about how to explain it in a non-boring way.??

I hope this was interesting and helpful to read. If I've inspired or made someone feel more confident, then I'm happy. Early in my career, I sometimes felt like a lunatic in certain environments, but now, I know what I stand for—and I believe you do too, whether you're an 'anonymous' manager or another reader who feels the same.

Cheers,

Your common-sense provider, ??

Illia Kuznetsov.