🌟 Word of the Day — 29 Ṣafar 1447 AH, August 23, 2025 ‘Efficiency’ 🌟

Coach Ward

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

3–4 min read

Welcome back to our Business English Word of the Day series. Today’s word is efficiency, a term that sits at the very heart of business, leadership, and personal productivity. Efficiency is about achieving maximum results with minimum wasted effort or resources. It’s the difference between working hard and working smart.

📖 What Does “Efficiency” Mean?

Efficiency refers to the ability to accomplish a task or achieve a goal with the least waste of time, effort, or resources. It’s not just about speed, it’s about the balance of input versus output.

• In business: Efficiency means systems, processes, or people can produce desired outcomes with less waste.

• In everyday life: An efficient person gets things done faster and cleaner, freeing up energy for what matters most.

Examples:

• “The new software increased the company’s efficiency by 30%.”

• “She organizes her workday with great efficiency, leaving no time wasted.”

🧬 Word Origin: Where Does “Efficiency” Come From?

The word efficiency comes from the Latin efficientia, meaning “power to accomplish” or “effectiveness.” It derives from efficere,“to bring about, to accomplish.”

Originally, efficiency described cause and effect, the ability of something to make change happen. Over time, it came to mean performing work with minimal waste.

🧠 Why Efficiency Matters in Business

Efficiency isn’t about cutting corners, it’s about maximizing value. Businesses that prioritize efficiency gain:

• Lower costs through better resource use.

• Higher output without burning out employees.

• Consistency in delivering results, which builds trust and loyalty.

An efficient system is like a well-oiled machine: smooth, reliable, and resilient.

🙋 Who Uses “Efficiency” (and Why)?

• Entrepreneurs: To scale faster with limited resources.

• Managers: To optimize team workflows.

• Employees: To protect time and energy while producing results.

• Everyday professionals: To manage life better, from inboxes to family schedules.

❤️ The Coach Ward Way

When I look back at my earlier years, I realize I confused busyness with efficiency. I was moving, grinding, and hustling, but wasting resources and burning out. Today, through Coach Ward Business Solutions, efficiency is a pillar. Every post, every class, every system we build aims to deliver the most impact with the least friction, for both my clients and my team.

Efficiency, for me, is about respecting time, ours and others’. Because time wasted is opportunity lost.

📌 Examples in Action

1. “The factory improved efficiency by automating repetitive tasks.”

2. “Her efficiency in handling customer issues earned her a promotion.”

3. “Energy efficiency is a major focus in modern building design.”

🚀 Your Turn

Reflect: Where in your work or personal life are you wasting time or energy?

What is one system, tool, or habit you could introduce this week to boost your efficiency?

👉 Let’s keep growing, one word at a time!