Knowing Vs. Doing

The premise that there exists a gap between the knowledge that organizations and individuals possess and the actions that they perform in the course of their work and other aspects of their lives is the concept that I have adopted to incorporate into my life for this time period.

The idea of the gap between knowing and doing seemed to be pervasive this week, not only in the assigned reading (Pfeffer & Sutton, Garvin), but also in several other publications and media that I read. The best example that I found beyond our class reading was The Bee Eater: Michelle Rhee Takes on the Nation's Worst School District by Richard Whitmire. In this book, the work of Ms. Rhee is explored from her beginnings growing up in suburban Toledo to her tenure as Chancellor of Washington D.C. Public Schools. Early in the book, during one of the visits she makes to a school, there is a sign displayed at a height that a third-grader could read that said:

"There is nothing a teacher can do to overcome what a parent or student will not do" (Whitmire, location 116 of 3990 Kindle edition).

Nice. Whether or not one would agree with that sentiment, there are several problems with the sign, not the least of which was that everyone in a position of leadership must have known, based on the knowledge that they possessed, that leaving it on the wall was a terrible idea.

Even though the organization (school) was committed to the improvement of children, the individuals in the organization practiced behaviors that were in direct conflict to their knowledge base and their behavior negatively impacted the mission of the school, in action and perception. In addition, the sign indicated a complete lack of commitment to their mission and an indication that they were telling the world (but more importantly, their students) that they abdicated any and all responsibility for the outcomes.

A disconnect exists between what we know and what we do - I am certainly not exempt from this behavior.

For example; I know that high sugar snacks are the worst possible foods for me, but I choose to eat them when I am stressed, allowing my emotional state to override my knowledge. When I am feeling down (for example, during a long wait between car service runs), I tend to abandon my plan to eat well and consume the high sugar/fat/carbohydrate snacks with the thought that by consuming these foods, I will feel better. It does work, but the good feeling is soon replaced by self-directed frustration, and sometimes an unpleasant physical sensation (lightheadedness, headache, heartburn).

My action plan to help my actions correlate to my knowledge will be to enact a series of thoughts when the temptation to eat sugary food arises. The temptation will arise because, in my job, it is nearly impossible to wander very far and computer access is a must, therefore, avoidance is not possible.

First, when confronted by a temptation, I will stop my train of thought and examine it to see if it's motivated by hunger or a perceived need to boost my mood. Of course, neither is a good reason to indulge in sugary snacks, but the solution for each motivation will require a different approach, and it's really the latter temptation that needs to be addressed. If I was truly hungry, I could make healthier choices.

The key is to stop and think about what I am feeling, remember what I know and think about these thoughts and feelings.

The resolution depends on addressing, confronting and controlling the moods that bring about the cravings. This requires a substantial amount of self-examination, but focuses on the reasons for the mood swing. Most often it is frustration brought about by the inability to control my circumstances. Lack of control over ones life is a frustration that everyone encounters but in order to be successful, we need to have positive coping responses.

The next step will be to replace the negative