The world of work shares a single basic transaction, used millions of times a day: translating vital information into human behavior. But operationalizing this formula is not that simple. Workplace information can change quickly and often—schedules, customer requirements, engineering specifications, operational methods, tooling and fixture needs, material location, and the thousands of other details on which daily life in the enterprise depends.

To share that information, most companies depend on on-the-job and classroom training, binders of standard operating procedures, reference manuals, online instruction, and blueprints—followed by lots of supervisors and managers to answer our many questions. These are indirect methods, with varying levels of effectiveness. Yet managers assume these indirect methods are capable of translating vital information into exact behavior.

The belief is that once we get the right information, we will do the right things, the right way, on time, and safely. We will behave in keeping with that information, and good things will result—namely, well-made products delivered on time, and well-provided services presented with a smile. Unfortunately, that is rarely the case. Other things happen instead.

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