Avoid “action Bias” by Stopping and Planning Before Starting Work
Most of us feel that we are doing more when we do something, even if the action is counterproductive. This is called action bias. To get through this, pause and consider your strategy before starting.
As the HBR business blog points out, people tend to prefer action. Planning is a waste of time if you already “pretty much” know what to do. And yet, jumping into action and screwing up can cost you more time and effort than you would otherwise waste. In some cases, this can lead to complete failure. Anyone who has ever had a boss fix something that didn’t break can tell you that sometimes doing nothing is the best course of action. HBR uses the example of a soccer goalkeeper:
Consider the case of professional football goalkeepers who need to defend against a penalty kick. What is the most effective ball-stopping strategy? Most of us think that if we were in their place, we would be better off jumping left or right. As it turns out, it’s best to stay in the center. Research has shown that goalkeepers who dive to the right stop the ball 12.6% of the time, while those who dive to the left do only slightly better: they stop the ball 14.2% of the time. But goalkeepers who don’t move work best: they have a 33.3% chance of stopping the ball.
However, goalkeepers only stay in the center 6.3% of the time. Why? Because it looks and feels better if you missed the ball by diving (action) in the wrong direction than having the shame of watching the ball go by and never move. An addiction to action is usually an emotional response to the feeling that you have to do something, even if you don’t know what to do. In contrast, sometimes it is better to stay on the sidelines and observe and investigate the situation.
Just because an action can be taken immediately does not mean that it is best. Likewise, being inactive or taking a look before jumping in does not mean being productive. Your instinctive need to go-go-go may make you feel like you are doing something just because you are doing something, but if all you do is rush forward faster towards failure, you are just as successful. could stay in bed. …