Knowing and Doing: Filling the Gap
Kathleen Lawson
Strategy, Planning and Execution for Small, Service-Based Businesses | Empowering Creative Entrepreneurs | Practical Guidance | Accountability | Planning Workshops
During my clients’ weekly CEO Hour, they review what has to get done. I urge them to pay attention to items on their list that are not getting done. Knowing and doing are two different things. Filling the gap between the two is how you move a business forward.?? Many of my clients come to me knowing a lot about business. They read, listen to podcasts, and participate in groups. Gathering all that information is great, but it’s not worth much if you don’t put it into action. I see this gap for people who have the knowledge but get stuck on the execution piece. There are plenty of things that can cause this gap.
Having no plan or strategy
To complete a project, it needs to be broken down into actionable steps. This allows you to know exactly where to start, and what comes next after each task is accomplished. Whether you’re creating a website, achieving a goal, or implementing a strategy, you need to know what you’re doing and when.? Clients will say:
When you don’t have your projects broken down, you will feel overwhelmed and intimidated. You need to know where to begin and what actions to take. So you move onto something else, like gathering more “knowledge.”?
Take some time to plan and break tasks down into executable action steps. Each action step has to be small and simple enough that you know exactly what you need to do to accomplish it.?
For instance, if you’re creating a website, these are some tasks that need to be broken down further:
Or if you want to start an email newsletter:
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When tasks are too big for you, turning to any other welcome distraction to avoid these projects seems easier in the moment.
Lacking the necessary skills
Earlier this year, many small business owners using Gmail with their email platforms had to make some changes if they were to keep sending emails to clients successfully. It was so overwhelming. In every group I was in at that time, people kept talking about it, sharing PDFs on how to do it, and yet not being able to. The deadline crept closer, and suddenly everyone panicked about not getting it done because they couldn’t do it themselves. Another example is email automation. You might know you need a welcome email sequence to nurture your new subscribers. But you have no idea how to set this up in your email platform. So you don’t address it for months. It’s much wiser to spend your time doing what you do best, rather than wasting hours gathering information about something you do not have the skills to do. Hiring an expert gets it done right, in less time, and ultimately for less money.
No Systems or Processes in Place
When there’s no system or process in place, tasks get put off.? Social media is an excellent example of the knowing vs. doing gap. Executing a consistent social media strategy requires a system, even if it’s simple and basic. You can take Monday mornings to write and schedule posts, like a Tuesday Tip, a promo post for Thursday, and a Fun Friday post. And of course, if you can handle it, the system can be more sophisticated than that.? Establishing processes, like one for onboarding, is another great example. Some business owners know that they should work through an onboarding process for their clients, but they don’t know what to include, where to put it, or how to keep track of the process. They may also need help on the execution pieces like automation. Winging it every time is exhausting. Structure brings freedom. You can roll your eyes, but it eliminates a lot of decision fatigue. When you have no idea what you did last time, you start from scratch again. When there are too many decisions to make it’s easier not to do it. It’s rare for my clients to do the same thing twice until they have their systems and processes sorted out. When they are, you’ll be more confident that you can get everything done.
Mindset?
This is a tough one for entrepreneurs. When you’re the boss, and you don’t feel like doing something, who’s going to say you have to? “I don’t feel like it” isn’t the answer.? Bookkeeping is a good example here. If you’d rather see the dentist than take care of your finances, you’re likely to keep putting it off. Then when you finally do tackle it, it takes hours because there’s so much to do. Another mind game I see business owners struggle with is lack of resources or the money to pay for them. I hear, “Well I know I need this, but I don’t know anyone who does that.” Or, “I’d love to get that done, but I don’t have the money.” Nobody feels good about saying that. A fun question in networking groups is “If you had extra money to invest in your business, what would you pay for?” Business owners have no problem rattling off the things they know they should do but they just don’t have the resources for. This one requires some planning and prioritization. You can’t do everything at once. You have to figure out how much you can spend and what will make the best impact and set you up for what’s next. Sometimes you DO need a break - a day away from your office or an afternoon lunch with a friend. You should do those things, but not every day, and definitely not to avoid doing things that are important for your business growth. If you do feel the urge to escape, it’s most likely because of these issues we discussed. I have helped many clients close the knowing vs. doing gaps in their business. If you see yourself in these examples, maybe it’s time for us to connect. I’d love to support you as you close that gap.
P.S. Ready to stop spinning in place and get to the other side of your goals? Here are several ways I can help: