In [The Art of Action](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/9973202), [Stephen Bungay](https://www.stephenbungay.com/default) explores the art and science of making decisions and executing them effectively. Drawing from historical military strategies and contemporary business examples, the book offers practical insights for leaders and organizations. The core axiom of the book is to **maximize both alignment and autonomy**. Having alignment not only means everyone in the organization has goals that align with the organization's top goal but also that everyone is highly *engaged* with those goals. Autonomy implies that you do not give others more instructions than the minimal requirements & constraints that meet your strategic goals. Your colleagues and your reports should decide on everything within those limits themselves. While you should prefer clarity over detail in your instructions to foster engagement and decision-making. The book has spawned the [Agile Strategy](Agile%20Strategy.md) movement. It culminates in formulating [10 Glimpses of the Blindingly Obvious](10%20Glimpses%20of%20the%20Blindingly%20Obvious.md). ## The 3 Gaps 1. **KNOWLEDGE GAP** - The difference between what we would like to know and what we actually know. It means that we cannot create perfect plans or be sure which actions are the right ones. 2. **ALIGNMENT GAP** - The difference between what we would like people to do and what they actually do. It means that even if we encourage them to switch off their brains, we cannot know enough about them to program them perfectly. 3. **EFFECTS GAP** - The difference between what we hope our actions will achieve and what they actually achieve. We can never fully predict how the environment will react to what we do. It means that we cannot know the exact outcomes of our actions in advance. A volatile, fast-changing environment creates a high level of real uncertainty, which widens the three gaps. To address the three gaps, the leader needs to: - Decide what really matters - Get the message across - Foster engagement - Give people space and support - Learn from the outcomes of their actions The leader needs to achieve those outcomes without continual personal interventions (“micromanagement”). Instead, as the leader, you implement an [[agile strategy]]. ## Reduce Friction Bungay highlights the concept of friction, which represents the obstacles and challenges that can impede decision-making and execution. Understanding and reducing friction is key to achieving success. Leaders should have a high situational awareness, continuously observing and gathering information about their environment. They then reduce friction by eliminating the need for constant approvals and hierarchy-based delays, favoring **flexible plans** that account for various contingencies. ## Lead by Intent Leading by Intent is Bungay's chosen term for his approach to overcoming the 3 Gaps: 1. KNOWLEDGE GAP - Define the organizational **intent** as What and Why: A clear, stepwise approach to realize some long-term **strategy.** Define the strategy without providing any more detail than absolutely necessary. 2. ALIGNMENT GAP - Brief your team on the strategy and ask them for [Backbriefings](Backbriefing.md) to define the **plan** through **clear communication**. This will allow you to understand your team’s intentions. 3. EFFECTS GAP - Provide boundaries that define the **constraints and freedoms** to make decisions. **Build the right team.** Find the right balance between **strategy and tactics**. Define and build a **culture** of continuous improvement and learning to address all three gaps. ## Decentralize Command Drawing from military history, Bungay stresses the value of decentralized command, where individuals at all levels are empowered to make decisions based on their understanding of the situation and within pre-defined boundaries. This approach enhances adaptability and responsiveness. The key is not to plan the whole journey but to set direction and allow the organization to navigate. And it should be clear when even the boundaries might be ignored as long as the chain of command is made aware of those violations a.s.a.p. ## Make Clear Communications Clear communication and a shared understanding of goals and intent are essential for effective execution. Bungay emphasizes the need to articulate a clear and concise "commander's intent" to guide actions and decision-making. [Backbriefing](Backbriefing.md) is a technique that can improve clarity and drive alignment. Every order which can be misunderstood will be. Backbriefing addresses [Konrad Lorenz' communication cascade](Lorenz'%20Communication%20Cascade%20and%20Backbriefing.md) of events that lead to action and change. As the strategic message is passed on, it may need to be modified and made more specific. The first thing that needs to be in place, then, is a communications channel. This channel is provided by the reporting lines along the organizational structure. The "right" organizational structure doesn't solve anything by itself, but an inappropriate structure can make it impossible to realize a strategy. ## Balance Strategy and Tactics Bungay distinguishes between strategic thinking (the overall plan, big picture, why & what) and tactics/operations (the actions taken to achieve the plan, the how). Leaders must ensure that strategic goals are translated into practical actions that can be executed efficiently by providing flexibility to respond to changing circumstances. Operations are about doing things right. Strategy, in contrast, is about doing the right things. Operations and tactics are summarized as an organization’s [lean capabilities](5%20Lean%20Capabilities.md). Leaders have to balance their attention between defining and achieving the specific task of their group, building and maintaining the team, and meeting the needs of individuals while developing them. ## Build the Right Team Hire and develop people who are willing to take responsibility for their own decisions. Yet, avoid authoritarians who wouldn't provide sufficient freedom to their subordinates. Implementing processes that guide the whole organization. For example, via performance management and implementing metrics (such as [OKRs](How%20John%20Doerr%20explained%20OKRs.md)) to measure if the intent is realized. ## Define Culture The Art of Action discusses the role of leadership in creating a culture that encourages proactive decision-making and accountability. Effective leaders foster an environment where individuals engage and can act decisively. They ensure their teams exhibit [three agile properties](3%20Properties%20of%20Agile%20Teams.md) and follow the [8 Behaviors for Smarter Teams](8%20Behaviors%20for%20Smarter%20Teams.md). A good way of introducing culture (change) in your organization is via [management study groups](Management%20Study%20Group.md). ## The Executive Trinity Bungay critiques dual definitions of leadership (like leadership & management or directing & managing, etc.) as incomplete and proposes that leadership instead must be thought of as three principles: 1. **Directing**: The intellectual work of giving commands and developing strategy. 2. **Managing**: The physical effort of planning, organizing, and controlling resources and processes. 3. **Leading**: The emotional & moral capacityt to coach & inspire others to achieve their goals. Bungay admits that great executives at the very top can get by without being great at leading or even without being good managers. However, the charismatic executive who cannot direct is dangerous, as they will create chaos. Bungay criticizes that lots of the management literature does not clearly separate directing from leading, while he claims that what you need at the very top is a great commander.