A Bias for Action
A Bias for Action
Heike Bruch Sumantra Ghoshal
Harvard Business School Press, 2004 Often managers spot a chance to do something valuable for their company, but for some reason, they cannot get started. Even if they begin the project, they give up when they see the first big hurdle. The inability to take purposeful action seems to be pervasive across companies. Managers tend to ignore or postpone dealing with crucial issues which require reflection, systematic planning, creative thinking, and above all, time. Instead, most managers are happy dealing with operational activities that require more immediate attention. Daily routines, superficial behaviors, poorly prioritized or unfocused tasks make unproductive busyness the most critical behavioral problem in large companies. This fascinating book is about how to promote purposeful action in organizations. This book, the least by Sumantra Ghoshal, before his untimely death is a must read for all middle level and senior managers. Energy & Focus People who exhibit purposeful action possess two critical traits: energy and focus. Energy implies a high level of personal involvement and effort. Purposeful action, is self-generated, engaged, and self-driven behavior. Purposeful action also requires focus. It requires discipline to resist distraction, overcome problems, and persist in the face of unanticipated setbacks. In other words, purposeful action is different from impulsive behavior. It involves thought, analysis, and planning. The authors identify four kinds of managerial behavior, according to the levels of energy and focus that managers display. ? The Frenzied: They are highly energetic but very unfocused and appear to others ? as frenzied, desperate, and hasty. ? The Procrastinators: They postpone the work that really matters to the ? organization because they lack both energy and focus. They often feel insecure and fear failure. ? The Detached: They are disengaged or detached from their work altogether. They ?
Heike Bruch Sumantra Ghoshal
Harvard Business School Press, 2004 Often managers spot a chance to do something valuable for their company, but for some reason, they cannot get started. Even if they begin the project, they give up when they see the first big hurdle. The inability to take purposeful action seems to be pervasive across companies. Managers tend to ignore or postpone dealing with crucial issues which require reflection, systematic planning, creative thinking, and above all, time. Instead, most managers are happy dealing with operational activities that require more immediate attention. Daily routines, superficial behaviors, poorly prioritized or unfocused tasks make unproductive busyness the most critical behavioral problem in large companies. This fascinating book is about how to promote purposeful action in organizations. This book, the least by Sumantra Ghoshal, before his untimely death is a must read for all middle level and senior managers. Energy & Focus People who exhibit purposeful action possess two critical traits: energy and focus. Energy implies a high level of personal involvement and effort. Purposeful action, is self-generated, engaged, and self-driven behavior. Purposeful action also requires focus. It requires discipline to resist distraction, overcome problems, and persist in the face of unanticipated setbacks. In other words, purposeful action is different from impulsive behavior. It involves thought, analysis, and planning. The authors identify four kinds of managerial behavior, according to the levels of energy and focus that managers display. ? The Frenzied: They are highly energetic but very unfocused and appear to others ? as frenzied, desperate, and hasty. ? The Procrastinators: They postpone the work that really matters to the ? organization because they lack both energy and focus. They often feel insecure and fear failure. ? The Detached: They are disengaged or detached from their work altogether. They ?