Strategic Leadership Development
“Only a small fraction of managers actually get something done that really matters or moves their organizations forward in a meaningful way.”
— Heike Bruch and Sumantra Ghoshal
in A Bias for Action: How Effective Managers Harness Their Willpower, Achieve Results, and Stop Wasting Time
(Harvard Business School Press, 2004)
Only about 10 percent of managers work purposefully to complete important tasks, according to a 10-year study of managerial behavior across a variety of industries. The other 90 percent self-sabotage by busily engaging in non-purposeful activities, procrastinating, detaching from their work and needlessly spinning their wheels.
“Busy idleness,” seemingly an oxymoron, affects most people, pervading all aspects of personal and professional life. While we have easy access to knowledge and time-saving resources, we continue to spend most of our time making the inevitable happen, instead of committing energy and focus to the few activities that can really make a difference.
Beyond routine, day-to-day tasks, most managers fail to seize opportunities to achieve something significant. Why do so many smart, talented executives lose such valuable time and energy, rather than behaving in truly productive ways?
This problem is nothing new. Stanford University Management Professors Jeffrey Pfeffer, PhD, and Robert Sutton, PhD, studied this dynamic for their book, The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge Into Action (Harvard Business School Press, 2000). They asked: “Why do so much education and training, management consulting, and business research…produce so little change in what managers and organizations actually do?…Why [does] knowledge of what needs to be done frequently fail to result in action or behavior consistent with that knowledge?”
Daily routines, superficial behaviors, and poorly prioritized and unfocused tasks zap managers’ capacities that are more crucial to achieving results. Managers often ignore or postpone dealing with the most critical issues, in favor of putting out fires and attending to squeaky wheels.
Unproductive busyness is perhaps the most serious behavioral problem in large companies.
Everyday managerial work is hazardous to one’s ability to focus. Managers typically work on multiple tasks simultaneously. They must rely on others’ help to get the job done, often without tangible milestones or clearly defined processes or goals. Days are full of interruptions and unexpected demands.
Even so, some managers are able to surmount the urgent interruptions and focus on getting the right things done to achieve results. What, then, makes these 10 percent more successful?
People who exhibit purposeful action possess two critical traits: energy and focus. Energy is characterized by more than effort; it requires involvement in meaningful activities, fueled by both external and internal resources. Purposeful action is self-generated, engaged and self-driven.
Purposeful action also demands focused behavior— conscious and intentional, guided by a decision to achieve a goal, disciplined enough to resist distraction and overcome problems, and persistence in the face of setbacks.
1. Define your goals by asking yourself:
a. Do I need a mentor who can help me see the big picture? Do I need to research data or strategies that will allow me to make a thoughtful, informed choice about my goals and objectives?
b. Are my goals well defined and concrete? Do I understand all of the components, including the potential obstacles?
c. Can I personally identify with my goals? Are they worthwhile given my values and those of the organization?
2. Strengthen your confidence in your ability to achieve your goals by asking yourself:
a. What experience do I have in achieving comparable goals? Can I do it again?
b. Which of my role models can help me understand what it takes to achieve my goals?
c. Who can give me feedback to evaluate my capacities to achieve my goals? What must I learn to ensure success?
d. Can I experiment and rehearse critical tasks while pursing my goals?
3. Overcome negativity and develop positive thoughts and feelings by asking yourself:
a. Which emotions do I harbor—and what triggers them? Should I change my tasks or goals so that work is less stressful? Do I have healthy outlets—hobbies, sports, friends—for these feelings?
b. What about my work creates enthusiasm, fun and excitement for me? What do I love doing? Apart from my work, from what personal well can I regularly draw balance or strength?
1. Visualize your intention by asking yourself:
a. What does my intention look like? What simple image can I keep in my mind when I need to remember my intention?
b. How can I accomplish my intention? What specific steps will I need to take to reach it?
2. Make a personal commitment by asking yourself:
a. Does this particular intention feel right? Do I really want it?
b. Does my intention excite me? Is it something for which I can maintain my passion and commitment, even when obstacles arise?
c. Does my intention jibe with my personal values and beliefs? Can I stand behind it with head and heart?
Bruch, H., Ghoshal, S. (2004). A Bias for Action: How Effective Managers Harness Their Willpower, Achieve Results, and Stop Wasting Time. Harvard Business School Press.