Re: Question: What do you think is the most difficult job in the world ?
The most difficult job in the world is to get work done efficiently from the people.
Imagine an organization.. most of the people who work in that organization mostly think they have a difficult job. Some even think the organization is prospering because of them. In fact the to a certain extent it is true also that organizations prosper because of the individuals. But the most difficult job is done by the people who put these individuals together and create an enabling environment for them. Steve Jobs was not a scientist or an innovator in literal sense. Nor was he a marketing genius, or an accountant with a sense of finance. Neither was he a management guru.. but he had this incredible quality to put all these people together and get the best out of them.
What is the difference between Virgin Atlantic and British Airways. Why with the same kind of work force from the same country.. one airline has made constant profits and expanded over the years while the other is always struggling and seeking government support. Why even with higher fares Virgin flights are always full while BA is always struggling to fill the seats. The difference is the leadership.. the entrepreneur behind the organization.. Mr. Richard Branson. He has a certain vision to work on the details to please his customers.. and this vision is not enough. He actually makes his people execute his vision efficiently with a smile.
To do a job efficiently is difficult task. To get the same job done from somebody else with same efficiency is 100 times more difficult.
I think you’re trying to get at “effectiveness” rather than “efficiency”. I would argue that most of us try to be “efficient” in our work, but not all are as effective as the likes of Jobs or Branson. They are examples of effective!
and I agree, being effective is significantly harder than being efficient.