As I was checking out with my groceries at Whole Foods, I overheard Megan, the cashier, excitedly talking with the bagger Brian about how she had moved up from fourth to third in an internal competition. I asked what kind of competition it was, and it turned out it was all about how quickly she could get customers through the checkout line.  

Brian, the bagger, chimed in, joking that he was only one point behind her. I quipped in a superspeedy voice, “Well, I’ll just say ‘thank you’ really fast and get going!” 

We laughed, but he got more serious as he went on to explain that since Amazon took over, the organization’s priority had shifted to efficiency—to the point where there was little room for customer connection. 

Whole Foods was now rewarding employees for checking out customers very quickly, which meant that taking time for emotional connection or relationship-building was effectively penalized. Neither Megan nor Brian was thrilled about the change; they missed the more personal, community vibe that Whole Foods used to have.

The Winning Combo

A recent study by McKinsey & Company found that organizations that focus on both employee engagement and organizational efficiency outperform their peers in productivity and profitability. 

It’s easy to get caught up in the rush of efficiency and workflow optimization—after all, we’re all busy and have a lot of things to get done quickly. Yet when you focus only on efficiency, you risk losing something vital—the connection that drives engagement and loyalty. 

Bottom line, connection is the energy that fuels uplifting relationships, and that’s what makes businesses thrive. The key is being strategic about how you bring both efficiency and connection together, ensuring that you’re moving fast while also making people feel seen and valued.

Consider for yourself and for your organization:

• Where in your leadership might you be prioritizing efficiency to the point that you are losing too much connection?

• What are your specific non-negotiables in terms of organizational efficiency? What about emotional connection?

3 Amare Action Steps to Combine Efficiency with Connection

1. Optimize your decisions. Create an X/Y graph and map out likely trade-offs between the speed of task completion and the impact on customer relationships. Then, do the same with tasks for other stakeholders. If you don’t know, do the research to find out.

2. Build “both/and” systems. Streamline workflows and environments to increase both efficiency and personal connection. For example, automate repetitive tasks to save time while ensuring there are built-in moments for meaningful communication and feedback.

3. Reward the right behaviors. Do periodic reviews and recognize team members for both the speed and quality of their work. This builds trust, shows appreciation, and increases engagement, creating a positive energy that makes efficiency feel like a collective achievement.

The best leaders know that true success comes when efficiency and connection work together. You can be fast without sacrificing the personal touch that makes your business unique. 

Efficiency gets you to the finish line faster (assuming you’re running the right race!), but connection makes the journey worthwhile. By leading with both speed and empathy, you can create a thriving, engaged team and customer base that’s invested in your mission. So, the next time you’re designing efficiency initiatives, remember: efficiency and connection aren’t mutually exclusive—they’re the dynamic duo of love-powered leadership.

Build a Stronger and More Unified Leadership Team

My team and I do powerful keynotes and unique retreats that help leadership teams be more aligned, on purpose, and connected (and we make it really fun, too!). For more information, contact me here.

Today’s Amare Wave Wednesday Quote

“You can’t have efficiency without connection. People are the heart of every process, and when they feel valued, everything works better.” 

— Brian Chesky, Airbnb co-founder and CEO

Click here and read more Amare Wave Wednesday newsletters on related topics:

Leadership Lessons from the River: Keep Flowing, No Matter How Big the Obstacles

Five Ways to Manage Conflicting Points of View with a “Both/And” Approach

Harnessing AI’s Power: A Leader’s Guide to Principle-Driven Tech Integration

The Power of Belonging: 6 Amare Ways to Deepen Emotional Connection Between People and Your Organization

It’s the Little Things: The Secret to Building and Leading a Thriving Team

Original article published on Inc.com.