We have all faced situations where we know action is required, yet we hesitate, often falling into procrastination which according to the Oxford Dictionary is “delaying or postponing action”. In retrospect, we wonder why we didn’t take immediate action, all too often because others did, and we are left at a disadvantage.
Why do we delay, and what can we do about it?
There is significant research into what motivates us, epitomised by Abraham Maslow who developed his Hierarchy of Needs. At the base of the pyramid of needs is physiological needs such as breathing, food, water, sleep, procreation, etc. Provided these are secure, we move up to safety which includes physical, financial, health, family, property, etc. When these are in order, we can focus on love, belonging, friendship, family, and intimacy. Next, we move up to esteem, seeking confidence, achievement, respect of others, and respect from others. Finally, once the other layers of the hierarchy are established, we seek self-actualisation, pursuing our creative and fulfilling desires.
Consider the decisions you make against this hierarchy, then determine your actions and make them accordingly. If you are a leader responsible for an organisation, whether large or small, consider the organisation as if it were a ‘person’.
Decisions relate to ‘risk/reward’. What is the risk of acting or not, and what will be the reward, either positive or negative?
Here is a guide to acting. Depending on the size of the decision’s risk/reward, this process may take a few minutes, or for larger considerations, days – but not too many.
Get the facts. Too often we set up barriers to action based on unverifiable information, personal inhibitions, past unrelated events, or a myriad of other unrelated reasons. Apply ‘Hume’s Fork’: “Something is either verifiable in fact, intrinsically true (e.g., a rock by any other name is still a rock) or it is nonsense”.
Do the ‘Common Sense’ test. “If it doesn’t make common sense, it doesn’t make any sense at all” which I am told was successfully applied by Geoff Dixon, CEO at QANTAS.
Make a risk assessment. What is the worst thing that can happen in the 5 strata of Maslow’s Hierarchy versus the potential reward, both for you and the organisation? Provided the reward exceeds the risk, proceed.
Prioritise the action against other necessary actions ranking them in order of doing the highest reward/least risk actions in that order.
Do it! Write a plan with measurable goals, milestones, and timing that includes allocation of the necessary resources (Plan); execute the plan (Do), continually assess results (Check), adjust the actions as necessary toward the mission, even if that means prematurely abandoning the activity because it is proven that it cannot succeed (Act). “Plan, Do, Check, Act”!
Analyse your previous successes and those of significant people/organisations. You will find that the successes were the result of considered timely action. I am yet to find a successful example that was based on procrastination.
So, what are you waiting for??
No AI was used to write this article.
Philip Belcher MBA, FAICD, FIML is Principal of LSE Consulting Pty Ltd, a specialist leadership and management advisory company.
www.lseconsulting.net.au,
philip@lseconsulting.net.au
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