Below is the final in a series on five methods for overcoming the Knowing-Doing Gap. They are great lessons I’ve learned – and worked hard to apply – from the “The Knowing-Doing Gap,” authored by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton.
Internal competition in the workplace turns friends into enemies very quickly. Often a rigid hierarchy is to blame, stifling creativity from front-line people who may “know” what the problem is but feel helpless to begin “do” something about it.
Say, for instance, Suzy, a VP at XYZ Company, has implemented a strategy after many months of planning. It’s her baby, and the entire organization knows it. Yet the associates also see that Suzy’s plan simply is not working. Still, no one will say anything because they don’t want to upset Suzy.
In organizations where leaders are open to listening and are proficient at letting go of ego, the Knowing-Doing Gap is not nearly as large. Associates are encouraged to speak up when they see problems, and in doing so, are empowered to make change.
The Knowing-Doing Gap is a global phenomenon, and not only in professional settings. We see it in our personal lives when we are, for instance, working to eat healthier, yet we see a piece of cake and we eat it. We know the decision isn’t in line with our strategy, yet we do it anyway.
A culture in which associates keep each other in check, point out failures in a supportive way and encourage each other to try new things is a winning culture. The more a team catches itself failing and works to rectify it, the easier it becomes to admit mistakes and move on… in other words, the more successful we become at turning knowledge into action.