The Knowing-Doing Gap [Kimberly Wiefling]

If knowing “HOW” to do something were enough we’d all be rich and thin. There’s always some reason why well-intentioned, educated, experienced professionals are doing the opposite of what they know makes sense. Frequently it’s because they are really busy, and can’t possibly do what needs to be done until someone ELSE changes first, usually their boss, or someone in a different department. “If only” someone or something else would change then THEY would be able to do what they need to do to accomplish the goals.

A whole book on “The Knowing-Doing Gap” was written on this by two professors of Stanford University when they realized that their colleagues at the Stanford Business School didn’t follow the principles that they taught when they themselves were leading companies. It happens in engineering teams, too. If you want an example of the knowing-doing gap in engineering teams, just consider numerous studies that indicate that the top reason that teams fail is for lack of clear goals. What could possibly be more important for an engineering manager than clarifying goals and communicating them to the team?

Alas, common sense is NOT common practice. What is the source of the Knowing-Doing Gap?
FAIL – The 4 legs on the stool causing the knowing-doing gap and preventing people from crossing it are:

· Fear of Failure – If you’re not allowed to fail you must be careful what you start!
· Aversion to Planning – Studies have proven that, given a choice, people prefer not to plan. At the same time, we also know that planning dramatically improves results.
· Instinct for Competition – The win-lose frame is the first assumption for many people in any situation involving another person. Fear of losing, tied into #1, prevents people from even playing the game.
· Learned Helplessness – “It’s not my fault!”, and “They are doing it to me” thinking. The research on this is absolutely shocking.

The difference between someone occupying an engineering leadership position and a true engineering leader is that the pros do what is required whether they feel like it or not, whether they think they have time or not – no excuses! Winston Churchill is one of my favorite leadership role models and he said “Sometimes doing your best is not enough. Sometimes you must do what is required!” Yeah, that’s right, Winston.

Cross posted at www.SVProjectManagement.net
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Kimberly Wiefling specializes in enabling people to achieve what seems impossible, but is merely difficult. She is the author of one of the top project management books in the US, “Scrappy Project Management - The 12 Predictable and Avoidable Pitfalls Every Project Faces”, growing in popularity around the world, and published in Japanese by Nikkei Business Press. The founder of Wiefling Consulting, LLC, she consults to global business leaders. She spends about half of her time working with high-potential leaders in Japanese companies, facilitating leadership, innovation and execution excellence workshops to enable Japanese companies to solve global problems profitably.