Tag Knowledge

How to Gain Experience

Steve Keating 2 Comments

The fastest way to gain experience is to live. By my estimation it will take approximately 3 years to gain approximately 3 years of experience. You can make the process shorter by using someone else’s experience, not your own. But really, nothing beats your personal experience when it comes to making decisions and taking action.

Years ago I wanted to develop a sales course focused on cold calling. I read a lot about it and that got me a fair understanding of the process involved. But as a speaker, relating someone else’s experience can’t hold a candle to sharing your own personal experiences. So I took a part time sales job in an industry where the sales people had to be fierce cold callers. I got beat up, I got beat down, but I learned. I learned first hand what worked and what didn’t. The experiences I was able to talk about while teaching that class were my own and it gave me a ton of credibility.

Experience will do the same for you.

The fact is, gaining experience is crucial for personal and professional growth. You can learn new skills, gain knowledge, and boost your confidence in different areas of life. To gain experience, there really are no shortcuts. However, there is a process to follow so that gaining 3 years of experience doesn’t take longer than 3 years and may take less.

So here it is:

• Determine what areas you want to gain experience in. Whether it’s related to your career, hobbies, personal development, or other interests, having clear goals is essential.

• Start by researching the field or subject you want to gain experience in. Read books, articles, watch videos, and take online courses to build a foundational understanding.

• Connect with people who are experienced in your chosen field. Attend conferences, workshops, and seminars to meet professionals and experts. Networking can provide opportunities for mentorship and collaboration.

• Volunteering is an excellent way to gain experience while giving back to your community or a cause you care about. Nonprofit organizations, charities, and local community groups often need volunteers for various roles.

• Look for internships or apprenticeship programs related to your field of interest. These opportunities provide hands-on experience and may lead to full-time positions.

• Consider part-time jobs or entry-level positions in your chosen field. These positions may not pay as well initially, but they can provide valuable on-the-job experience. That experience could one day prove priceless.

• If applicable, offer your services as a freelancer or consultant in your area of expertise. Freelancing allows you to gain experience, build a portfolio, and potentially earn income.

• Start personal projects or side ventures related to your interests or career goals. These projects allow you to apply your knowledge and skills in a practical way.

• Be open to feedback from mentors, colleagues, or supervisors. Constructive criticism can help you improve and grow in your chosen field.

• Stay updated with the latest trends, technologies, and developments in your field. Continuous learning ensures that your experience remains relevant.

• Keep a record of your experiences, achievements, and skills gained. This can be useful when updating your resume or portfolio.

• Periodically reflect on your experiences and assess how they align with your goals. Adjust your approach if needed to ensure you’re gaining the right kind of experience.

• Gaining experience takes time, and you may encounter setbacks along the way. Stay patient, persistent, and committed to your goals.

• Don’t be discouraged by failures or setbacks. Mistakes are part of the learning process. Use them as opportunities for growth and improvement.

• Once you have more experience, you can share what you know by teaching, writing, or mentoring. This can further deepen your understanding and expertise.

• Gaining experience is an ongoing process. You, no matter how hard you try, you cannot create experience, you must undergo it. It’s important to stay motivated, adaptable, and open to new opportunities as you work toward your goals. As you gain experience, you will become more successful in your chosen field.

And here is one of the most interesting things about experience. One day you’ll look around and determine that you may be the most experienced person in the room. That may lead you to believe that at last you have enough experience. But if the experience you’ve acquired over the years is the right experience, that belief won’t last long. You’ll quickly realize that there is no such thing as “enough” experience.

So keep living, life is teaching everyday and if you’re paying attention you’ll never stop gaining valuable experience.

Listening to You

Steve Keating 5 Comments

There’s a pretty good chance that everything you know to be true isn’t. “Knowing” things that you really don’t know will get you in as much trouble, or maybe more, then not knowing about them at all.

The good news is that there also is a pretty good chance that you know stuff that you don’t even know you know.

The stuff you know that you don’t know you know is sometimes called intuition or instinct. I think psychologists would say that it’s actually things you’ve learned that your conscious mind has forgotten but your subconscious mind hasn’t.

Leaders who lead in difficult times trust those instincts. They also know that they could be wrong about most anything so they verify what they “know” to be true. In order to do either of those you must work with a wide open mind.

When you’re unsure of anything it’s good leadership practice to seek out advice from those you trust. Listen to them. When you’re sure of something it’s a good idea to listen to opposing viewpoints too, if only to determine if others are as sure as you. This is when an open mind is particularly important.

Great leaders have open minds, they seek out advice and then act. They may or may not follow the advice of others. They listen to everyone and everyone includes themselves.

Don’t forget, your instincts could be spot on. Just because you don’t remember learning something doesn’t mean your entire brain has forgotten it too.

Listen to yourself. Trust your instincts and trust your gut. Your experience will not mislead you, your experience has no motive of its own. Using your personal experience to make decisions shows that you can learn from your successes AND your mistakes.

So go ahead and seek the guidance of others but seek your own guidance too. When you listen to you it’s possible you’re listening to the one person who can help you the most.

You most likely know more than you think you do, but remember, no one knows it all.

The Strength in Not Knowing

Steve Keating 7 Comments

The most successful people know they don’t know it all. They also know, and this may be even more important, they know what they don’t know. They know where their knowledge bank is weak and they aren’t afraid to admit it.

This is especially true for successful leaders.

I once worked with a guy who refused to hire a very qualified candidate for a job opening. Everyone knew he was qualified for the job but the guy who would be his boss didn’t want him. When I pressed him for a reason he finally said, “I don’t need a guy “pushing me” because he knows more than I do.”

That my friends is what a really, really weak leader sounds like.

Strong successful leaders actually staff for their weaknesses. They are not threatened by those who may know more than they do in particular areas. They know that their strengths lie in other, likely more critical areas. They don’t bog themselves down with trying to know it all; they have strength in not knowing it all.

They have the courage to admit what they don’t know, they have the courage to admit it when they don’t know what they do not know and most important of all, they have the confidence to ask someone they believe does know.

They confidently use their team’s knowledge to fill-in their own gaps. They are not embarrassed by their gaps, they are confident enough in what they do know to know it’s perfectly acceptable to not know it all. They do not pretend to know more than they do because they know that sooner or later their “fake knowledge” will be discovered.

If you’re a leader who doesn’t know then ask. Ask confidently and ask as often as necessary. It doesn’t damage your credibility with your people, it adds to it. It’s how Authentic Leaders do it.