A bias for action
Heike Buch
(Engelse samenvatting)
,Index
1. The summary in brief.....................................................................................................................3
2. You will learn in this summary.......................................................................................................3
3. The art of doing and getting done..................................................................................................3
3.1 Purposeful Action.........................................................................................................................4
4. Distinguishing purposeful action from active nonaction................................................................4
4.1 Energy Displayed at Sony..............................................................................................................4
4.2 Energy...........................................................................................................................................5
4.2 Focus.............................................................................................................................................5
4.3 High-Energy, High-Focus...............................................................................................................5
5. Marshaling energy and developing focus.......................................................................................6
5.1 Harnessing Energy and Focus at Lufthansa...................................................................................6
5.2 The Ability to Visualize and the Courage to Commit.....................................................................6
6. Moving beyond motivation to willpower.......................................................................................7
6.1 Motivation Versus Willpower.......................................................................................................7
6.2 Four Stages of Volitional Action....................................................................................................8
7. Crossing the rubicon......................................................................................................................8
7.1 Aligning Thoughts and Emotions..................................................................................................8
7. The Limits to Self-Discipline............................................................................................................9
8. Overcoming the three traps of nonaction......................................................................................9
9. Developing purposeful managers: the organization’s responsibility..............................................9
9.1 Building an Organization of Purposeful Managers......................................................................10
9.2 Creating the Space for Volitional Action.....................................................................................10
9.3 Weaving Purposeful Management Into the Organizational Culture...........................................10
10. Unleashing organizational energy for collective action..............................................................11
10.1 The Four Organizational Energy Zones.....................................................................................11
10.2 Moving an Organization Into the Productive Zone...................................................................11
11. Freeing your people to act: a mandate for leaders....................................................................12
, 1. The summary in brief
Managers blame many factors for their lack of accomplishments: a lack of motivation, limited time,
not enough money, too much work, and corporate bureaucracy. But new research suggests that the
amount of willpower managers bring to their jobs can be a critical element in their success. In A Bias
for Action, leadership expert Heike Bruch and management expert Sumantra Ghoshal demonstrate
that managers often confuse activity with accomplishments, and motivation with true leadership.
Their new study reveals that 90 percent of managers waste their time by procrastinating, becoming
emotionally detached, and distracting themselves with busy-work. They point out that only 10
percent of managers truly act purposefully to get the most important work accomplished. Based on
the author’s research across numerous industries, and illustrated with personal case studies from BP,
Sony, GE, Philips and others, A Bias for Action reveals how great managers get results by engaging
their own willpower through a combination of energy and focus. The authors present simple
strategies for bolstering willpower and provide ways managers can use the willpower of others to
encourage collective action.
2. You will learn in this summary
- How to create a culture that supports positive, purposeful action.
- Why some managers succeed in taking purposeful action while others do not.
- How to define your challenges and overcome stress and negativity.
- How to move from motivating and put willpower in others.
3. The art of doing and getting done
Laura McCormick had just landed the most challenging role in her career. IBG, a $7 billion
conglomerate, had acquired her employer, Delta Technologies, a telecommunications supplier — and
appointed her, at 33, one of two instructors in IBG’s much-touted total quality program. Energetic,
enthusiastic and articulate, she had risen quickly in her seven years at Delta. Early in her new
position, however, McCormick began to stall. Having squabbled before with Sam Butler, a manager
from the factory floor, she considered him entirely unsuitable for the job of the second instructor
and avoiding him whenever possible. After three months and several managerial shifts that included
the demotion of her boss and mentor, McCormick pushed on, running one program after another,
attending meetings, tackling problems that cropped up, and spending hours each day answering e-
mails and returning phone calls. She was constantly busy, but could see that morale was dipping and
Delta was headed for its first quarterly loss. When McCormick finally asked to relinquish the teaching
role, her boss said, “I do not want to lose you.” She polished her résumé and resigned a month later.
The Truth About ‘Busy’ managers what could have happened, for example, if instead of avoiding
contact with Sam Butler, McCormick had tried to build a great relationship with him from the
beginning? Like Laura McCormick, managers tend to ignore or postpone dealing with the
organization’s most crucial issues. Most managers spend their time making the inevitable happen
instead of putting their energy into the exceptional things that create a company’s future. Most
managers do not reach for the opportunities for significant achievements. Although their days are
filled with a constant stream of meetings, conference calls, e-mails, voice mails, pages, etc., they tend
to ignore or post-pone dealing with the organization’s most crucial issues. Those problems require
reflection, systematic planning, creative thinking, and time. Instead, managers let operational
activities requiring more immediate attention squeeze important problems out. Daily routines,
3
Heike Buch
(Engelse samenvatting)
,Index
1. The summary in brief.....................................................................................................................3
2. You will learn in this summary.......................................................................................................3
3. The art of doing and getting done..................................................................................................3
3.1 Purposeful Action.........................................................................................................................4
4. Distinguishing purposeful action from active nonaction................................................................4
4.1 Energy Displayed at Sony..............................................................................................................4
4.2 Energy...........................................................................................................................................5
4.2 Focus.............................................................................................................................................5
4.3 High-Energy, High-Focus...............................................................................................................5
5. Marshaling energy and developing focus.......................................................................................6
5.1 Harnessing Energy and Focus at Lufthansa...................................................................................6
5.2 The Ability to Visualize and the Courage to Commit.....................................................................6
6. Moving beyond motivation to willpower.......................................................................................7
6.1 Motivation Versus Willpower.......................................................................................................7
6.2 Four Stages of Volitional Action....................................................................................................8
7. Crossing the rubicon......................................................................................................................8
7.1 Aligning Thoughts and Emotions..................................................................................................8
7. The Limits to Self-Discipline............................................................................................................9
8. Overcoming the three traps of nonaction......................................................................................9
9. Developing purposeful managers: the organization’s responsibility..............................................9
9.1 Building an Organization of Purposeful Managers......................................................................10
9.2 Creating the Space for Volitional Action.....................................................................................10
9.3 Weaving Purposeful Management Into the Organizational Culture...........................................10
10. Unleashing organizational energy for collective action..............................................................11
10.1 The Four Organizational Energy Zones.....................................................................................11
10.2 Moving an Organization Into the Productive Zone...................................................................11
11. Freeing your people to act: a mandate for leaders....................................................................12
, 1. The summary in brief
Managers blame many factors for their lack of accomplishments: a lack of motivation, limited time,
not enough money, too much work, and corporate bureaucracy. But new research suggests that the
amount of willpower managers bring to their jobs can be a critical element in their success. In A Bias
for Action, leadership expert Heike Bruch and management expert Sumantra Ghoshal demonstrate
that managers often confuse activity with accomplishments, and motivation with true leadership.
Their new study reveals that 90 percent of managers waste their time by procrastinating, becoming
emotionally detached, and distracting themselves with busy-work. They point out that only 10
percent of managers truly act purposefully to get the most important work accomplished. Based on
the author’s research across numerous industries, and illustrated with personal case studies from BP,
Sony, GE, Philips and others, A Bias for Action reveals how great managers get results by engaging
their own willpower through a combination of energy and focus. The authors present simple
strategies for bolstering willpower and provide ways managers can use the willpower of others to
encourage collective action.
2. You will learn in this summary
- How to create a culture that supports positive, purposeful action.
- Why some managers succeed in taking purposeful action while others do not.
- How to define your challenges and overcome stress and negativity.
- How to move from motivating and put willpower in others.
3. The art of doing and getting done
Laura McCormick had just landed the most challenging role in her career. IBG, a $7 billion
conglomerate, had acquired her employer, Delta Technologies, a telecommunications supplier — and
appointed her, at 33, one of two instructors in IBG’s much-touted total quality program. Energetic,
enthusiastic and articulate, she had risen quickly in her seven years at Delta. Early in her new
position, however, McCormick began to stall. Having squabbled before with Sam Butler, a manager
from the factory floor, she considered him entirely unsuitable for the job of the second instructor
and avoiding him whenever possible. After three months and several managerial shifts that included
the demotion of her boss and mentor, McCormick pushed on, running one program after another,
attending meetings, tackling problems that cropped up, and spending hours each day answering e-
mails and returning phone calls. She was constantly busy, but could see that morale was dipping and
Delta was headed for its first quarterly loss. When McCormick finally asked to relinquish the teaching
role, her boss said, “I do not want to lose you.” She polished her résumé and resigned a month later.
The Truth About ‘Busy’ managers what could have happened, for example, if instead of avoiding
contact with Sam Butler, McCormick had tried to build a great relationship with him from the
beginning? Like Laura McCormick, managers tend to ignore or postpone dealing with the
organization’s most crucial issues. Most managers spend their time making the inevitable happen
instead of putting their energy into the exceptional things that create a company’s future. Most
managers do not reach for the opportunities for significant achievements. Although their days are
filled with a constant stream of meetings, conference calls, e-mails, voice mails, pages, etc., they tend
to ignore or post-pone dealing with the organization’s most crucial issues. Those problems require
reflection, systematic planning, creative thinking, and time. Instead, managers let operational
activities requiring more immediate attention squeeze important problems out. Daily routines,
3
