When do we call something practical? Or inefficient?
It can seem impractical to take courses in the humanities, in which you encounter nonphysical facts and work with questions and answers that resist easy definition, but at some point, the comfort you have developed with these things may help you in a very practical way.
It can seem inefficient to have employees who aren’t working all the time, whom you support personally and professionally, even when they are not producing measurable things for you. At some point, however, when you are surprised by a new challenge or burden, these employees may have the resources and inclination to accommodate the stumble simply and efficiently.