During our last spring break at Earth Native, among Central Texas’s Juniper, Oak, Mesquite, and Cactus, our family found peace away from digital distractions. We gathered, each immersed in our projects under a canopy of trees, reconnecting with the earth and each other in a circle of creation.
Compelled by a spontaneous urge, I chose to whittle a spoon from a cedar branch. With no prior experience, guided by intuition rather than plans, I started carving. As my family’s quiet activities hummed around me, I slowly uncovered the spoon’s form, feeling each curve and learning the wood’s secrets.
Hour by hour, the spoon began to take shape. The process was both an act of creation and a meditation, a way to connect with the present moment fully. The rough outline of the spoon emerged from the cedar, each curl of wood removed bringing me closer to the final form. It was a process of discovery, of letting go of excess to reveal what was meant to be.
The final steps—carving, sanding, and oiling—felt like the end of a conversation with the wood. This simple spoon feels a bit like a symbol. A reminder of intuition’s power and the joy of discovery.
I rediscovered an important concept—it’s the quiet moments, the simple acts of creation, and the company of loved ones that shape us, reminding us of the essence of living a life grounded in the real, the tactile, and the deeply human.
“The Art of Action” by Stephen Bungay is a guide to turning strategy into action in the business arena, drawing heavily from historical warfare to make its points.
Bungay’s book drills down on a few key concepts: simplicity, focus, and nailing clear communication. These, according to the book, are the linchpins of getting strategy to seamlessly translate into action, a roadmap for those eager to bridge that strategy-tactics gap.
In this rundown, I’ll cover some takeaways that stood out for me, and illustrate how its principles can be applied to real-world scenarios. These insights encompass:
set fewer objectives for better focus,
align systems with strategic goals,
understand the dynamics of subsystems within organizations,
the critical importance of operational decision-making.
Fewer objectives leads to focus and success
Bungay proposes that having too many objectives can hinder an organization’s ability to focus on what truly matters, constraining its freedom of action. On face value, this an obvious statement. However, when we dig into the idea with an example, we can start to see the systemic impact of failing to limit objectives.
Scenario 1: limit objectives
A tale of two objectives
The leadership team worked together to prioritize customer support for six months to stabilize and enhance it. Once stable, they proceeded with expansions and product launches, benefiting from newfound stability and positive sentiment. The CEO’s decision to prioritize and sequence objectives proved to be a pivotal turning point, propelling the company towards sustainable growth and success.
Prioritize decisions based on systems thinking
Bungay describes a tool for slicing through the decision-making jungle with a machete—the strategy map. This method simplifies the whole strategy approach by laying out the cause-and-effect connections between the money stuff, customer vibe, inner workings, and the knowledge game.
Picture this: a one-pager that helps you visualize the strategy playbook, making it easy for everyone to get the game plan and line up their moves with where the ship’s heading. This strategy map? It’s like the Rosetta Stone for decoding and syncing actions with the big picture.
Scenario 2: strategy map
Charting a healthy future
Imagine a medical clinic working to level up their game—better patient care, more cash flow, and smoother operations. But to make those dreams a reality, they needed a game plan to streamline their focus and steer their choices. Enter the strategy map, the visual wizardry that simplifies and shines a spotlight on their main goals across four key areas: process, professional development, customer, and financial. It’s like having a GPS for their success route—clear, straightforward, and right on target.
The management team quickly visualized how improvements in one area could positively impact the others.
After discussion, they decided to start by strengthening their internal processes by optimizing appointment scheduling, implementing electronic health records for efficient information sharing, and streamlining administrative tasks. These changes led to reduced wait times, increased patient satisfaction, and a more productive staff.
With a more efficient operation in place, the clinic focused on patient-related initiatives, such as personalized care plans and improved communication. Patient satisfaction scores increased, and existing patients were more likely to refer others to the clinic leading to stronger financial performance.
Reduced operational costs, higher patient retention, and the influx of new patients resulted in increased revenue and profitability.
The clinic’s financial outlook improved, making it easier to invest in professional development initiatives to stay at the forefront of medical advances.
By focusing on these four interconnected categories, they improved their patient care, financial performance, and operational efficiency, ultimately achieving a more sustainable and patient-centric healthcare business.
Align systems with objectives for impact
After an organization maps out its route to the top, Bungay hammers home the idea of getting those systems in line with the game plan for impact. It’s all about setting up systems that play nice with the objectives, bringing structure, feedback loops, resources, interactions, adaptability, metrics, and incentives into the mix. Get this combo right, and behaviors fall right in step with the specific objectives, delivering the results you’re aiming for.
This idea is very similar to one proposed by James Clear when he said,
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Your goal is your desired outcome. Your system is the collection of daily habits that will get you there.”
This is true for individuals and for organizations. Let’s look at an example using an oil and gas company striving to improve safety and environmental sustainability as part of its strategic objectives.
Scenario 3: align systems to objectives
Fueling success: oil and gas company strikes gold by aligning systems with goals
Imagine this: an oil and gas company laying out their game plan, highlighting safety and sustainability. Their focus? Cutting down on accidents, lessening their environmental impact, and supercharging operational efficiency. To make it happen, they’re peeking into their systems, fine-tuning behaviors to hit those high-flying goals.
And the results speak volumes! Workplace accidents take a nosedive, environmental incidents plummet. Plus, they’re diving into eco-friendly tech, amping up operational efficiency, and gaining major applause for their commitment to safety and sustainability.
Understand subsystems to identify conflicts
Bungay also highlights the importance of understanding why people within an organization may not always behave as required. He suggests that individuals typically act rationally from the perspective of the subsystem to which they belong. By examining the goals, resources, and constraints of these subsystems, leaders can gain insights into why certain behaviors occur. This understanding allows for taking steps to change the subsystems themselves to encourage the desired behavior.
For example, an employee within a sales team may prioritize actions that maximize their individual sales commissions, which is rational from the perspective of the sales team. However, these actions might not always align with the overall goals or values of the entire organization.
Between strategy and tactics is an execution layer called operation decision-making
In the final chapters, Bungay argues that an “execution layer” called operational decision-making bridges the gap between defining the right strategy and standardizing tactics for efficiency.
Scenario 4: execution layer
Consulting clarity: balancing brilliance and growth
A consulting firm’s strategic goals focus on expanding its client base while upholding service excellence. They explore various strategies like broadening services, targeting specific industries, and enhancing marketing efforts.
To uphold quality and efficiency, the firm standardizes key tactics, encompassing client onboarding, project management, and quality control. These standardized tactics are accessible to all consultants, ensuring consistency.
To bridge the strategic and tactical layers, the firm leverages multiple senior consultants, to promote knowledge sharing to maintain uniformity.
Operational decision-making in consulting unites high-level goals (client growth and quality) with daily tactics striking a balance between flexibility and efficiency.
In a world marked by unpredictability, “The Art of Action” provides readers with a roadmap for achieving their goals by simplifying strategies, aligning systems with objectives, and fostering adaptable decision-making processes. It’s a valuable resource for anyone seeking success in the complex landscape of organizational management and strategy execution. For a deeper understanding of these concepts and practical applications, I encourage readers to explore the full book.
In 2023, I managed to read a total of 70 books. This includes titles across all formats: physical copies, digital editions, and audiobooks. Out of these, 7 books stood out as exceptional and earned a Five-Star rating from me. To me, a Five-Star rating signifies that a book is not only excellent but also one that I would gladly enjoy reading again.
Explores the consequences of a mysterious phenomenon causing false memories and alternate realities. As NYPD detective Barry Sutton and neuroscientist Helena Smith race against time to unravel the truth, the novel delves into the nature of consciousness and the impact of memory on identity. With relentless pacing and thought-provoking twists, The story is a gripping exploration of the fragility of reality and the power of human connection.
This memoir is about grief and friendship. It’s about cultural identity. It’s about learning how to let go, when you have no idea how to let go, without losing the honor and memory of what happened. It’s about staying true, to memory, and to yourself.
Follows the journey of Sam and Sadie, friends and creative partners in the world of video game design. The story unfolds over three decades, exploring fame, joy, tragedy, and the complexities of their relationship. The novel delves into themes of identity, disability, and the redemptive power of play.
A kids fantasy novel about a young girl named Luna, accidentally imbued with magical powers by the inhabitants of a mysterious forest. Raised by a kindly witch, Luna discovers her extraordinary abilities as she unravels the secrets of her past. The story weaves together themes of love, magic, and self-discovery in a beautifully crafted world filled with wonder and enchantment.
A Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that weaves together the lives of nine individuals, each connected by their relationship with trees. The story explores the intricate and symbiotic bond between humans and the natural world.
A story set in Nazi, Germany, narrated by Death. It follows the life of Liesel Meminger, a young girl who steals books and the Jewish man hiding in her basement. Against the backdrop of World War II, the story explores the transformative power of words, love, and resilience in the face of adversity.
Violet Sorrengail is bookish, small, and fragile, but she’s compelled to enter dragon riding school any way. She recites facts to herself to stay focused when she is in stressful situations. It’s sexy. It’s empowering. I couldn’t wait for the second book, Iron Will to come out.
When I was early in my career as an Agile coach, I have a vivid memory of talking to my manager. I was struggling with something that was happening on the project. We had a very difficult executive who didn’t want to hear the wisdom of the team. Frustrations were high.
I explained what was happening and expressed disappointment in the executive and how they were treating us. And my manager said, “What if we start with the believe that they have good intentions? Instead of assuming they are setting out to be difficult.”
Stunned. I was set back. Wasn’t I being empathetic? Had I missed an angle? I realized I’d assumed ill-intent from the get go, and that was where the struggle was born.
I have not perfected the technique by any means but that lesson stuck with me. And today, I see a lot of struggle happening. In our society. In our politics. In our social media spaces. And I just wonder, what could it be like if we all stopped and applied the prime directive to every day life. The prime directive is a statement that is often used to open a retrospective. It states:
“Regardless of what we discover, we understand and truly believe that everyone did the best job they could, given what they knew at the time, their skills and abilities, the resources available, and the situation at hand.”
–Norm Kerth, Project Retrospectives: A Handbook for Team Review
How often do you start with the belief that everyone is doing the best they can? Is it easier to do with some than others? How do you imagine things would change in our discussions if we did start the belief that people are coming from a place of good intentions?
It could be a powerful amplifier for change. I’m willing to start there at least. With belief.
Since November, I’ve been adding three daily gratitudes to a Slack channel at work. I haven’t done it every day but here are some of the things I’ve been grateful for in the last 6 months.
Nov 2019
The smell of warm spiced tea on a fall day
Kind, generous people at work who have great ideas to spread the goodness
New connections and potential collaboration opportunities
5 Months Ago
A new laptop for work, with time and space to set it up
Good strong black coffee
Music to help me find my groove today
Shouts of glee from my children when I walk in the door after being at work
Slow mornings to get ready, read the news, and take my time
Brillant co-worker to collaborate with
4 Months Ago
Neighbors who become friends which becomes community
Good, deep sleep
Great places right outside my door to walk in the woods
Good conversation and the chance for mini-mentor sessions
A peacock blue pen
Deep long laughter with co-workers
Fridays
First Aid Kit (the band)
White wine that tastes like GrapefruitAlso sent to the channel
Well, if I’m grateful for Friday, I need to appreciate the Mondays too.
Breaking a long fast
Comfortable and cute red shoes
3 Months Ago
New office, new job
Great memories with previous co-workers
Looking forward to getting to know new people
Green Tea! Hard to get back into a routine
Good music (again, finding that rhythm)
Blank pages in my new journal
Catching up with old friends, and hearing about all the new ideas.
The kids going back to school (longest break ever)
Brightly, leafy, green veggies
Having green tea that my husband remembered to get for me.
Funny Quotes “Right now I’m having amnesia and déjà vu at the same time. I think I’ve forgotten this before.” – Steven Wright
New perspectives (I moved my desk, to get a different vantage)
Bob Dylan on a Foggy Morning
Finding old notes to myself that remind me of myself.
Sore muscles after trying a new class
Remembering to be grateful (and not beating myself up for forgetting)
On that same note, the ability to restart, because you can’t fail if you don’t give up
New hiking boots (all of theme here)
Learning how to choose what I pay attention to and extract meaning from
Crisp cool mornings
Working with kind, connected, thinking people
My children’s wit and curiosity as they interact with the world
Dancing in the car on the way to work on a Monday morning
Sunshine on a cool winter morning
Work that keeps gets me into a flow state!
Being able to humbly exhibit my awesomeness
Afternoon pick me ups
2 Months Ago
Fridays & Hot Toddies (for medicinal purpose of course)
New (work) book recommendations
Getting perspective on the bigger picture
Reminders in slack
Shared understanding among my peers
Seeing the light go on for people I’m coaching (being useful to people)
My father-in-law is visiting this week.
Productive but relaxing Fridays
Spinach – My lunch was delicious
Cat’s (Felinetines day)
Delicious food at a new restaurant with good friends
Building partnerships and great work with cool people
Naps (even though I can not take one now)
My Bullet Journal
New ways to look at a problem (visualizing a problem with pictures)
1 Week Ago
Toast with jelly
My son singing Peanut, Peanut Butter & Jelly while making said toast
The opportunity to slow down and focus on what’s most important
Committing to something that will nourish my creativity (even though it’s scary)
