In the business world most companies know or can know the same things. They can spend millions on consultants, training programmes and executive education. They all have access to knowledge. However there is a major difference between having knowledge and transforming that knowledge into action. This is what is called the knowing-doing gap.
The knowing-doing gap is something which interests me a lot. Not only does this gap apply to companies but I believe it also applies to individuals. Have you ever come across people who appear to know everything and who talk very wisely but at the same time their their lives are a mess? Their knowledge does not translate into action and positive results. In many ways I believe that we all suffer from the knowing-doing gap to a different degree and I do recognise it in my own life as well. That is why I believe that we need to look at the knowing-doing gap, what causes it and how do we can bridge that gap. In this and follow-on articles I am going to examine this issue based on the research work of Pfeffer and Sutton who looked at how successful companies turn knowledge into action. Let’s see what lessons that we can take from the business world and apply to our personal lives.
The first lesson that we can learn is that there is the tendency to treat talking about something the same as doing something. We can talk and we can research and make plans for action. We need to talk and plan, they are important. However they are only first steps – something has to get done and somebody has to do it. The problem comes when talk becomes a substitute for action. I can see this in my own life where I have so many plans. I have long lists of plans. And I spend a lot of time planning and maintaining and reviewing those lists. The problem is that I spend too much time on the plans and too little time making them happen! The solution is simplicity. Focus on only three goals at any time and get them done. Each day focus on three things that you will get done that day and make sure that you do them. Don’t get trapped at the level of smart talk and planning.
“The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps – we must step up the stairs.”
Vance Havner
In the coming weeks I will be sharing more lessons on how smart companies overcame the knowing-doing gap and how we can apply these lesson in our own lives.
