In Monday’s Blog we discussed the Knowing-Doing Gap and the critical importance of executing well.
In our Quick Tips today, we will draw from the work of Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton, two Stanford University Professors who, in 2000, wrote The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge into Action.
They discussed six barriers that need to be overcome to turn knowledge into action:
1) Recognize and accept that knowing what to do is not enough
a. Knowing what to do only identifies the potential – and as physics tells us, nothing happens until potential energy is converted to kinetic energy – and taking action is the business version of kinetic energy.
2) When talk substitutes for action
a. Don’t make presentations as a substitute for action
b. Don’t prepare documents as a substitute for action
c. Don’t use vision and mission statements as a substitute for action
d. Don’t plan as a substitute for action
3) When memory is a substitute for thinking
a. This happens when the company use past strategies, tools and techniques to solve current problems
b. As we recover from the 2008-2009 recession, the problems many businesses are facing have never been faced before by these organizations – new thinking is required (we addressed this in our recent article – Creating a Strategic Vision)
4) When fear prevents acting on knowledge
a. In an organization where fear and distrust prevail, action is nudged out
b. Drive fear and distrust out of your organization
5) When measurement obstructs good judgment
a. Overly (and unnecessarily) complex measurement systems are a major barrier to taking action.
b. The continual need for more information doesn’t create clarity it creates confusion and the need for more information – this behavior is known as analysis paralysis.
6) When internal competition turns friends into enemies
a. Internal competition leads to hording of information, distrust, “me first”, the creation and solidification of silos
b. Action / implementation requires everyone in the organization to share information and cooperate.
Successful businesses, especially in this new marketplace and sluggish economy, will find that the ability to execute, to take action, will become a major competitive advantage for them. And one reason is – few are doing it well and consistently. As Dr. Wayne Dyer has said – it’s never crowded along the extra mile.
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