Rule #18: Knowing Ain't the Same as Doing

August 17, 2009 | by Tracy Betts | Posted in Information Architecture, Project Management, Technical Consulting, Web Trends

I recently had the pleasure of hearing Fast Company  cofounder, Alan M. Webber speak at a Greater Washington Board of Trade event about his new book Rules of Thumb. 52 Truths for Winning at Business Without Losing Your Self. The book is divided up into "Rules" based on Webber's experiences. (On a side note, the blog promoting the book is a model that other authors should pay attention to.)

Rule #18: Knowing it Ain't the Same as Doing It is one of my favorite chapters in the book. Alan asks the question, if we live in a knowledge economy "what kind of knowledge is most valuable?" He goes on to discuss the two ways of knowing:

1. The kind of knowing that comes from reading and thinking. The kind of theorizing that experts excel at.
2. The kind of knowing that comes from doing. "Unlike the first form of knowing, which starts in the head and stays there, this form of knowing starts in the hands and moves up to the head and then back down again in a knowing-doing loop."

I believe that understanding the difference between the two ways of knowing is important to any organization. At Balance Interactive, for example, it is important for our team to read about, evaluate and understand the latest tools that support our clients online marketing goals.

It would be easy to take this knowledge, host a seminar or write a white paper, and call ourselves social media experts. It amazes me, especially in the social media space, how many organizations and individuals do just that.

In my mind the "knowing-doing" loop is the key to success. When we are assessing an idea or evaluating a project within our own organization simply "knowing" is not enough. How have we applied this knowledge before? What happened? How does it effect what this particular client is trying to accomplish? If we haven't applied this knowledge before, who's going to test it out?

Both kinds of knowing are important - if we are constantly "doing" and not taking the time to read and think and theorize than we risk losing depth and possibly new ideas. Reading, thinking, and theorizing without "doing" does not create anything but terrific thoughts and ideas stuck in someones head. I am proud to be part of a team that understands the "knowing-doing" loop. Take some time to ask yourself what kind of knowledge culture does your company have?