In this Forbes article, From Red Tape To Role Model: When Government Gets Efficiency Right, Forbes Councils member and GLSS Founder & Chairman Karlo Tanjuakio explains how in today’s business landscape, the push for efficiency must go hand-in-hand with ethical responsibility.
Efficiency isn’t just about cutting costs or increasing output—it’s about delivering value to customers, employees, and stakeholders without compromising trust, fairness, or quality. Ethical efficiency ensures that improvements are sustainable and transparent, avoiding the unintended consequences that often come with poorly executed optimization. GLSS, a leader in this approach, has shown through its work with both public and private organizations that efficiency can be achieved without sacrificing integrity.
Government case studies illustrate how ethical efficiency can drive real, measurable results. From cutting hiring times by 50% to dramatically improving disaster response and pothole repairs, Lean methodologies have helped government agencies streamline operations while maintaining fairness and service quality. These same principles are highly applicable to the private sector. For example, businesses can reduce hiring delays while upholding ethics, manage crises quickly without eroding stakeholder trust, and improve service delivery by investing in process improvements that don’t compromise quality.
Private businesses can apply ethical efficiency in four key areas: workforce optimization, customer service, supply chain management, and financial practices. This includes streamlining roles without exploiting employees, implementing responsible automation, prioritizing ethical sourcing, and improving financial transparency. By embedding ethical values into every aspect of operational improvement, companies can build long-term trust, innovate with purpose, and lead with integrity. Ethical efficiency isn’t just a concept—it’s a roadmap to smarter, more sustainable business.
Ethical efficiency is not just an ideal; it is a proven strategy for modernizing business while maintaining the highest standards of integrity. The businesses that embrace this model today will set a precedent for fairness, innovation and responsible leadership for years to come. – Karlo Tanjuakio, GLSS + Kure
