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Paperback
288 pages
ISBN 9780142000281 Published Dec. 2002
Penguin Books
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Posted Jan. 18, 2006 1:14 a.m. by todd-sattersten
In Strategy - 800 CEO Read Blog
I had seen references from some really smart people to The Knowing-Doing Gap by Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert Sutton. This duo has another book coming out this spring, so I thought I would check out the old one.
The book was published back in 2000 and it is pretty hard to categorize what they are talking about. At first, you think it is about Execution and Getting Things Done, but that misses alot of what the authors are saying.
They start by talking about how much is spent on training and consulting (they put the number at $60 billion annually). They then ask the question, "With all this money being spent, why aren't companies doing what they are being taught?" They make a great case for why well-established practices like modular manufacturing are talked about but never implement.
The authors move onto to the idea that people really learn by doing. They state most jobs that are dangerous are taught with on the job training, not with textbooks. Would you teach a surgeon or a airline pilot using manuals?
This is where is got interesting for me. Pfeffer and Sutton say that talk is the substitute for action in most companies. One kind of talk is complex and full of jargon. People think the complex solution is always the answer ('lots of hard work went into it, so it must be good' and 'no one will be able to duplicate this'). The simple solution is thrown out because it has been around forever and if it was so great someone would have already done it.
I think they get at the paradox of why successful companies often have such simple philosophies. People always point to Southwest Airlines and ask how can they be so successful by just hiring people who tell good jokes and just fly one type of plane. The reason they do that is because it makes the doing easy. It means flight crews that can diffuse difficult situations with customers. Everyone knows that 737s are the most fuel efficient plane in the sky. Yet, Southwest is the only one with a dedicated fleet.
One last thought--information and knowledge are ubiquitous. The only difference between you and your competitor is who is doing.
Career Burnout?
Posted Oct. 7, 2005 5:00 a.m. by kate
In Careers - 800 CEO Read Blog
In the Work & Family Mailbox of Thursday's WSJ, a reader named J.H. wrote in and asked about career burnout. J.H. described symptoms such as being "lethargic", detached and exhausted from work. J.H. also stated that she/he could not get away.
What was Sue Shellenbarger's, the WSJ columnist, solution?
"The No. 1 remedy for burnout, and the belief that you can't take time off is a common self-delusion among burnout sufferers."
Other remedies suggested by Sue:
- "Seek the perspective of people you love."
- Set "aside some time each workday for quiet-time rituals such as massage or meditation."
Sue also recommended two books:
- Read Slack to better understand the necessity of having time off.
- Check out Getting Things Done to help "ease your job anxieties".
Book Links from Around the Blogsphere
Posted April 18, 2005 8:43 a.m. by todd-sattersten
In General Management - 800 CEO Read Blog
I have quite a list for this post:
- John Moore at Brand Autopsy says you should read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.
- This is an older post, but the 43 Folders has best summary I have seen of Getting Things Done by David Allen.
- A Thought over Coffee pulls out The Art of Powerpointing from The Art of the Start
- This is another post inspired by Seth's personal MBA. Aaron at Confessions of a Brand Evangelist lists his Top Ten Brand Books
- Lisa at Management Crafts pulls a tip from Dale Carnegie's classic How to Win Friends and Influence People
- brendonwilson.com seems to have a transcript of Guy Kawasaki giving his Art of the Start speech
Finding Time
Posted Nov. 2, 2004 1:40 a.m. by todd-sattersten
In Personal Development - 800 CEO Read Blog
Kevin Kelly's Cool Tools reviews David Allen's Getting Things Done. There is a great set of excerpts.
David Allen on Unstuck
Posted Aug. 26, 2004 8:51 a.m. by todd-sattersten
In Personal Development - 800 CEO Read Blog
David Allen of Getting Things Done fame gives his friend Keith Yamashita a plug on his blog. We've talked about Yamashita's new book Unstuck a number of times here on this blog.
