Wednesday 13 April 2011

Closing our knowing-doing gap

This post is from the opening to my new book Changing What’s Normal.
See details below for how you can get your copy of the book as a part of a very special pre-release package.

There are many great insights in Daniel Pink's book Drive – the surprising truth about what motivate us. One of Daniel's conclusions really made me think:
there is a mismatch between what science knows and business does.

There is often a mismatch between what we know and what we do.

For me the narrower the gap between what we know and what we do, the more fulfilled life we live and the greater influence we assert!

Part of my plan this year, my 20th in partnering with passionate and enlightened business leaders to change what’s normal inside organisations for the good of people, our planet, and for profit, is to close the gap between what I know and what I do.

I am finding this challenging!

The most demanding aspect of my work with organisations is to inspire people to actually do what what they know they should, and I too am not finding this easy.

To begin my own journey I reread The Knowing-Doing Gap by J. Pfeffer and R.I. Sutton (HBS Press, 1999), a very insightful book. From there I made a list of the crucial things I know about life and business where I have have not fully implemented or acted on successfully, what I know.

Possible action:

Try the above exercise i.e. make your own list. I am sure you too will find it challenging however like me as you change what’s normal you will find the journey as rewarding as I am.

To know and not to do is really not to know.
Stephen R. Covey

Be the difference you want to see in the world.
Ian

PS Details here for how you can get your copy of my new book Changing What’s Normal as a part of a very special pre-release package.

It's not enough to be an observer and a commentator. Be an activist! Make a difference!
Harry Zaphir, Linkedin Colleague

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