Why you’ll fall short if you take just a by-the-numbers approach to gauging your organization’s efficiency. Plus: countering unethical business practices is the right move—but not always an easy decision.

Sure, speed rules. But measuring your organization’s efficiency is not all about how fast you can deliver. Make sure you’re considering the value of your customer’s experience.

That and more in today’s Social Media Roundup:

Number the problems

The Pitfalls of Productivity by the Numbers http://t.co/us37iN57FP #hr #shrm #work

— Workology (@workology) November 1, 2013

Ruled out: Measuring productivity is the key to understanding and, at best, increasing efficiency—but you’ll only get so far if you’re just analyzing the numbers, writes Stephanie Hammerwold from Blogging4Jobs. To put it in grocery-store terms (based on Hammerwold’s experience working in the industry): At one store, performance was measured by how quickly cashiers rang up orders. And while tracking speed created great statistics, the cashiers were failing to take the time to provide the best customer service, she writes. At another store that instead measured increased sales, cashiers were more focused on the customer than rushing through the payment process. Hammerwold’s point: “[S]peed is important. But it is also important to make sure that people are working hard because they want to do a good job and not just to increase a number.” How do you ensure timely processes without hurting the customer experience? (ht @blogging4jobs)

Mention the Maverick

Are you willing to stand up for what's right and lose everything? http://t.co/7Pr89lI6zT @weknownext @shrm #tulsa #oklahoma

— The People Group (@thepeoplegroup) November 1, 2013

In praise of do-gooders: People who have the courage to stand up and report unethical business practices can prevent serious harm an organization, its employees, and its customers, writes Kevin Kennemer of the Chief People Officer blog. But they often blow the whistle at their own risk:  “According to the Ethics Resource Center in Washington, D.C., at least 22 percent of whistleblowers lose their jobs as a result of possessing the fortitude to report unethical or illegal activity,” Kennemer reports. But what’s worse: losing your job for doing the right thing, or knowing you’ve turned a blind eye to unethical practices? (ht @ThePeopleGroup)

What’s on your weekend reading list? Let us know in the comments below.

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