A major mistake that managers make

Abstract

Purpose

One does not learn from doing something right; one already knows how to do it. By doing something right one gets confirmation of what one already knows but no new knowledge. The fact that schools are more interested in teaching than in learning is apparent from their failure to determine if students learn from their mistakes. This is a critical problem in business schools and in practice in the business world.

Design/methodology/approach

Errors of omission, lost opportunities, are generally more critical than errors of commission. Organizations fail or decline more frequently because of what they did not do than because of what they did.

Originality/value

Many companies remain paralyzed and do not reach their potential. In such companies, no one in senior management is willing to do something that might turn out to be wrong. Every one of them wants someone else to assume responsibility for whatever they try. As a result, significant changes are seldom made.

Citation

Ackoff, R.L. (2006), "A major mistake that managers make", Handbook of Business Strategy, Vol. 7 No. 1, pp. 225-227. https://doi.org/10.1108/10775730610618855