We all associate that phrase with the sportswear giant, Nike, but one of the reasons it’s been among the most successful tag lines ever is that it’s good advice.

Amelia Earhart, the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, said: “The most effective way to do it, is to do it.”

This can apply to anything, of course, but I’ve noticed tasks that quite a few managers are reluctant to do, such as giving appraisals, dealing with underperformance, delegating to others, or changing established ways of doing things, to name a few.

Usually it’s because we want to do it right, so we wait for the ideal time. The ideal time never seems to come, so we never get around to doing whatever it is.

We might value our staff very much and appreciate the effort they put in, but it’s hard to put that into exactly the right words so we think it rather than say it.

Perfectionism can prevent action.

I can’t imagine the courage it took for Amelia Earhart to set off across the Atlantic, but I know that it often takes courage to ‘Just do it!’.