Why do most people fail to follow through on planned actions?
Behavioral science is quite clear on this.
It usually comes down to one (or more) of these reasons:
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We don’t specify enough. We don’t truly know what, when, or how to act.
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We aren’t incentivized enough. Motivation is weak, misaligned, or abstract. We don't know our WHY.
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Something is in the way. Friction, missing resources, competing priorities, or some emotional blockers.
Think about a recent moment when you intended to do something and then didn’t.
You wanted to eat better or sleep on time.
Finally start regular exercise.
Ship a project on time.
Have that tough conversation.
Something else happened. Or nothing happened at all.
Wasn’t it because of one of those three?
I recently watched Alex Hormozi talk about training high-performing teams, and about how to make sure things actually get done. On time. With momentum. Without constant chasing.
The same mechanics that drive personal follow-through drive team performance.
Alex calls it the Management Diamond💎
For consistent performance, 5 things must be in place:
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WHAT - crystal-clear expectations
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HOW - the skill is learned and practiced, not assumed
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WHEN - deadlines and accountability are explicit
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INCENTIVES - rewards and consequences are aligned
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BLOCKS - friction and obstacles are actively removed, all resources are present
Miss one, and the system leaks.
And the value here is 2-fold:
If you struggle with consistency yourself, walk through the list.
Which piece is missing?
If you struggle with performance in people you lead and manage, do the same.
Where are you assuming instead of designing and communicating?
The intention–action gap is rarely about laziness.
It’s almost always about poor design and communication on the 5 points above.
Over to you dear reader,
Where is the gap for you right now?
And which piece of the diamond do you need to close?
