Action Matters

“I never worry about action, but only inaction.”
-Winston Churchill

“What you do speaks so loudly I cannot hear what you say.”
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

The story involves H. Ross Perot when he was on the board of General Motors. Perot was constantly frustrated by endless, sometimes meaningless, circular discussions and the lack of action that he felt characterized GM’s approach to decision making. “Where I come from,” Perot told the GM board, “if you see a snake, you kill it. Here you appoint a committee on snakes that goes out and hires a consultant on snakes, that then completes a study on snakes to report back to the committee to review, which results in more questions, which requires the formation of a sub-snake committee to address the previous issues to allow the original snake discussions to proceed. How ‘bout just killing the snake?”

Despite a strong belief in the importance of planning and study, nothing should irritate you more than its misuse. Seeing valuable time, resources, and energy dithered away on lack of conviction to decision making, or on poorly constructed or aimlessly led efforts, is a business tragedy.

Act now. So how do you know it’s time to act? Why is there such a proclivity for inaction? Taking action involves taking risks and the courage to take on criticism. For people working in companies, there is an inertia that usually rewards inaction. Unless strong forces and a firm direction encourage and require action, organizations gravitate toward inaction.

“Never confuse motion with action.”
-Benjamin Franklin

“The universe doesn’t give you what you ask for with your thoughts; it gives you what you demand with your actions.”
-Dr. Steve Maraboli

“The only impossible journey is the one you never begin.”
-Tony Robbins

“Words may inspire but only action creates change.”
-Simon Sinek