What You Do is More Important than What You Know

It doesn’t matter what you know; it matters what you do with what you know. Information is useless unless it is applied. We spend a lot of time preparing for the next step, but then we get stuck in our comfort zone. We often know what we need to do, but we don’t act on that information. We expect things to work themselves out, and then we get disappointed when they don’t.

Knowing something is cognitive but doing something is behavioral. Unless you are in academia, you are typically not measured on your knowledge alone; you are evaluated on your performance, which is driven by, but not necessarily determined by your knowledge. Sometimes we take action because we lack the information needed to help us perform our jobs effectively. Taking initiative to learn something or ask for help is a sign of commitment, which some people confuse for incompetence. However, it will never be a bad thing to seek out new information.

When we do know the information that we need, it’s important to follow through with our actions. We have all heard the phrase, “It’s the thought that counts,” but when is that actually true? We tend to judge other people based on their actions rather than their intentions, even though we judge ourselves based on our intentions instead of our actions. Writing off our inaction with, “It’s the thought that counts,” is just an excuse. It feels better than taking responsibility for not doing what we meant to do.

There is a big difference between knowing and doing. What you do shows more of your character than the knowledge you possess. You can be the smartest person in the room, but if you don’t act on that knowledge, you won’t be recognized for it. Your actions are what will advance you professionally. In the words of Harry Truman, “Imperfect action is better than perfect inaction.”

-Meghan Slaughter