Originally published on Typeshare

No, it’s not customer obsession.

Customer obsession is still in my top five, but bias for action claims the throne for me. Amazon employees use the leadership principles to guide their decisions in every situation. But they’re useful for non-Amazon employees too.

Bias for action is my favorite because it helps me do everything faster. I can learn faster, make decisions faster, and grow faster.

How Do I Practice Bias for Action?⌗

Failing Fast⌗

Bias for action helps me fail faster, and by extension, learn faster. I’m not afraid of failing fast because failures provide me with more data points. The data points reveal what not to do. They allow me to tweak the approach or solution to reach the desired result quicker. And if I’m met with failure again, then I try again, again, and again. Every iteration helps me learn fast.

Courage Over Comfort⌗

Getting out of my comfort zone opens up opportunities to bias for action. Am I stuck on a problem? I ask for help. Do I need to take a risk? I do a risk assessment. Is there a task that technically isn’t my job? I try my best to resolve it, and ask for help if needed. I grow faster, both professionally and personally, when I choose courage over comfort.

Two-way Door Decisions⌗

Two-way door decisions are decisions that are reversible. Is the decision not going as expected? I reverse it. These decisions help you learn fast because they don’t carry risks. And if risks aren’t involved, I can make decisions faster. When I need to make a decision, I ask myself whether the decisions is a one-way door or two-way door. One-way doors require a strategic approach and more caution.

Bias for action helps you move faster, and fast is a competitive advantage in the workplace. Don’t confuse impulsivity with bias for action. Bias for action does require careful consideration of consequences .

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