The Department of Doing

Written by

Jeff
Pfeffer and I published The Knowing-Doing
Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge Into Action about 7 years ago. It is a book about why smart companies and
people sometimes don’t do things that they know they should, and how to
overcome impediments to organizational action including using smart talk as a
substitute for organizational action, precedent, fear, flawed metrics and
incentives, and dysfunctional competition. We’ve both been heartened by people
who have contacted us over the years to tell us how they have used the ideas to
spur action. After all, as we say in the
book, just reading and talking about getting things done isn’t enough, you
actually have to do it.

As
such, I was delighted do get an e-mail from Richard Hollingum, who runs a
company called The Department of Doing
based in Devonport, New Zealand. Richard
wrote me,“I set up the Department of Doing 6 years ago
and we work with some amazing clients all over the world, and preach the power
of doing. As they say "Doing requires Doing Something". Your book
fits so much with what we stand for. I spent too many years sitting on
committees, board meetings where decisions were made, consensus was agreed and
still nothing happened. So out of sheer frustration I set up DOD.It is the best
thing ever did. So liberating, so much fun and makes the hard work all the more
rewarding.”

This
is music to my ears and I am looking forward to learning more about his company
when he visits California in March for the TED Conference. Check out the attached “The Directives of
Doing” that Richard sent me, a code of conduct for people in his company.
Wonderful stuff, like, Never say “That’s not my job.” The
business world is full of organizers, planners, facilitators, and managers. It doesn’t need any more. At The Department of
Doing, we only want doers. We are about making stuff, and making stuff happen.
We are about taking client’s problems and making them go away. That’s or job.”

P.S.
I also loved Richard’s reply when I wrote him back that I would be delighted to
meet with him: “You’re on!!! Consider it Done. Let’s
talk real soon. Take care. Gotta dash, real busy doing. He sounds like quite
character!

Download dod_leaflet_stamp_directives.pdf

Comments

7 responses to “The Department of Doing”

October 17, 2006

Valeria Maltoni

I just came across a wonderful article in Ode magazine that is a perfect case study for making a difference just by deciding to do, instead of contemplating. It is titled The Power of (every)One http://www.odemagazine.com/article.php?aID=4375.
– Valeria

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October 17, 2006

JohnO

So what happens when you have to say “That’s not my job” because you have ten other things to do, and no one else is doing any work?
Don’t the “planners, managers and organizers” take advantage of these sorts of doers to get their own agenda’s fulfilled?

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October 17, 2006

nraynaud

JohnO :
I suppose you’re fired ? The problem is not that it’s *your* job or not, but that you cannot accumulate more. Maybe you can get this task by giving another task to someone else ? Or maybe this task will be given to someone else. Nothing to do with “it’s my job” or not.
At least this is the way I think. Actually, I prefer doing stuff “that’s not mine” it is more entertaining.

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October 18, 2006

Robert Hruzek

Very nice! Just this morning I ran across Dan Pink’s reference to this story (http://www.influxinsights.com/index.php?id=985) about Animal Farm butter.
Now that’s a doer!

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October 18, 2006

Bob Sutton

Great discussion. I like the practical points that when people are asked to do a dozen things, than it is fair for them to say “it is not my job.” I warmed to the document, however, because I’ve been in too many situations where no one is willing to do anything because each defines their job in way that is not only narrow, it is also focused on doing something that is useless or worse. There is also a certain kind of person — Stanford students at their worst, unfortunately — who see it as their job to plan, give orders, say smart things, anything that increases their status — but view it as beneath them to actually do anything. I also have been involved in some organizations where it is impossible to get anything done because I don’t understand what people do, and when I ask them to do something specific, they don’t do it because it isn’t in their job description, but when I ask them what their job is and how it is related to other jobs, they can’t explain that either. But I also want to acknowledge that there are some people who are asked and pressed to do so many things that they need to draw the line, and are being abused.

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October 19, 2006

Andrew Mitchell

I really like the Directives of Doing and one of these days I’ll get around to doing something about them… 🙂
There seems to be a contradiction between the early part that indicates that the DOD will take on anything even if they need to learn how, and a latter part which says we focus on what we are expert in and will engage other experts as needed.
I’d like to hear Richard’s take on this.

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October 20, 2006

Troy Steinmetz

“Stanford students at their worst, unfortunately — who see it as their job to plan, give orders, say smart things, anything that increases their status — but view it as beneath them to actually do anything.”
This is so true. As someone who has been very involved in student goverment and various student organizations for the last four years, it is clear the the most determining factor of success in that realm is simply willingness to do. We are a campus of “someone should,” while we should be a campus of “I will.”
In a lot of ways I think this is more a function of the seemingly ubiquitous “I’m busy” mindset than anything else. Students will often grasp for high-status titles by downplaying their other commitments and priorities. The worse ones will plan, organize, and advise, but when the time comes to do, use schoolwork as a trump card in negating their responsibilities. They will reationalize “flaking” by asserting that schoolwork is a higher priority and fail to realize that have simply overcomitted or overpromised.
There are two phrases I learned after a couple years that have paid off greatly in the leading-doing spectrum:
(1) “I’ll start. Before date X, I commit to doing Y and Z. Anyone else?”
(2) “That’s a great idea, (name). Do you want to be in charge of making sure that happens?”
It’s about sending a clear message that ideas and agreement are only as powerful as the actions they put into motion. Also, phrase 1 makes it clear that I am willing to do work, while phrase 2 keeps me from overpromising.
To be clear, great ideas should not be avoid simply because of laziness, but too often people don’t really think through the necessary action/”doing” step before committing.

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