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One of the big business mantras out there today, is that it’s smart to have “a bias for action”.
That’s not only wrong. It’s dangerously wrong.
Why a bias for action is dangerous
On a surface level, the advice seems to make sense. It sounds positive after all. However, if you think about it for a few minutes you’ll spot the obvious error. You’ll notice that many of the most ineffective people you’ve ever met had a bias for action.
These include.
- The people who embody the ready, fire, aim mindset
- The people who enthusiastically climb a ladder that’s against the wrong wall
- The people who jump from project to project, because they’re action focused and get bored fast
- The people who keep themselves busy doing what’s comfortable, rather than what’s effective
A bias for action can work directly against us. Unless we first develop a bias for highly productive activity. Then it pays off in a VERY BIG way!
This means using our time and energy as effectively as we possibly can. These are fast-changing times. That’s for sure. So, we need to be at our productive best. We need to get strategic and very specific about exactly what we want to achieve.
It looks like this.
- Do the research
- Get the advice
- Look at the numbers, with close attention to the medium and long-term
And if everything stacks up, take action. That’s when a bias for action is needed and richy rewarded.
This means planning first, then acting. Using your time and energy as effectively as you possibly can.
These are challenging times and we all need to be at our productive best. So get specific about exactly what you want to achieve. Do the research. Get the advice. Look at the numbers. And if everything stacks up, take action. That’s when a bias for action is needed.