When Efficiency Becomes Empty
Why chasing cost savings without vision is a race to nowhere
Cost savings is the name of the game right now. Every company, man, boy, girl is chasing it. Time is money, and leaders want to cut both.
In my presentation to the CEO, I was asked to show the data: what can a GPT really do? The truth is simple, if you spend less time, you save labor hours. That can mean real savings. But it can also mean real productivity.
Here's the catch: saving money doesn't always mean creating value. Sometimes leaders cut so deep, so fast, that they end up with nothing to show for it. No greatness. No vision. No ethics. Just speed. And speed can take you downhill just as fast.
For me, efficiency doesn't mean cutting people out of the picture. I believe that with every human, you can do more—because layoffs often just lead to the same work piled on fewer shoulders. And that's not efficiency, that's exhaustion.
The layoffs we're seeing are heartbreaking. They're branded as "cost savings," but let's be honest: efficiency is only half the story. Companies aren't just saving—they're spending. They're trying to catch up with inflation, keep pace with competitors, and stay relevant in an AI-driven economy.
I'm watching the strategic money moves too. OpenAI acquiring Statsig isn't just another fancy headline, it's a signal. It means testing, feedback, and improving over time. That's not hype, that's strategy.
According to PwC's CEO Survey, 1 in 4 CEOs say they plan to cut at least 5% of their workforce this year because of AI. That's not my opinion, that's a straight-up fact.
So here's where I land: layoffs dressed up as "cost savings" aren't about the people. They're about the optics, the race, the headlines. We keep hearing "efficiency" like it's the gospel, but efficiency without vision is just emptiness on a balance sheet.
I'm just saying what's sitting heavy on me. The truth is, companies are saving money while spending even more to keep up. They're betting on AI, fast and furious, and forgetting the human beings in the process.
Newsflash: speed without substance is a race to nowhere.
And that's my vent.
Tip on what's working for me lately: get clear on the top goals in your business, especially the ones tied to cost savings. But don't stop there. Follow the thread all the way through the lifecycle: from the task, to the asset it's tied to, to the equipment, to the dollars connected. That's where I've noticed the real savings and the real power sit, not in big flashy cuts, but in the little things that compound over time.
What about you: where have you found small efficiencies that actually made a big difference?
Still at the Table,
Eva