Hi and Summer Greetings!
A vital component in our 3 Goals System is the importance of becoming an expert.
I’ll cut right to the most immediate reason:
Research shows that experts in any field or role make more money.
In high complexity jobs like professionals, the top 10% produce 80% more than average and 700% more than the bottom 10%[i].
But this is also true in less complex jobs, where it was found that the top 10% of workers produce 25% more than the average, and 75% more than the bottom 10%.
Aside from high school interns that help file and run errands, all the roles in your office are high complexity.
So, how do you become an expert?
From the book, the Talent Code[ii]:
Plus, I believe that through advertising we have been encultured to think in terms of instant gratification – I can get a “meal” through the drive-in at McDonald’s and replace that broken appliance through Amazon Prime.
And providers… you too are often so distracted by organizational issues that, well, good enough is good enough. You get fine results, right?
But I will remind you of Clarence Gonstead.
He continually worked at developing his skills and methodology. Everything else followed, including thousands of patients, so many in fact that he had to build a hotel next to his clinic for those coming from out of town.
And the key is deliberate. Take some aspect of your job and work – deliberately. You might be surprised on how you might have taken some procedure for granted as working but when you examine it, you discover that there is a lot of room for improvement.
Research shows that doctors who have been in practice for twenty or more years do worse on certain objective measures of performance than those who are just two or three years out of medical school.
The reason for this is that doctors working day-in and day-out can begin to go on automatic because their work no longer pushes them out of their comfort zones[iii].
I know… I talk about this all the time …and will continue to do so as it is one of the least expensive methods to improve your business and increase income. And I know you also know this! So, this is just a friendly reminder to train and encourage your team to become experts.
I suggest your goal is to create a team of experts, and… and Expert Team!
[i] Hunter, J. E., Schmidt, F. L., Judiesch, M. K., (1990) “Individual Differences in Output Variability as a Function of Job Complexity”, Journal of Applied Psychology
http://psycnet.apa.org/index.cfm?fa=fulltext.journal&jcode=apl&vol=75&issue=1&page=28&format=HTML
https://80000hours.org/2012/09/how-good-are-the-best/
[ii] The Talent Code: Greatness Isn’t Born. It’s Grown. Here’s How. by Daniel Coyle
[iii] Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson
Ed’s Training Maxims
I am working on some sayings, or aphorisms on training and study. I have come up with a few.
Don’t cringe…!
Can you add any?
- Educate – Don’t Terminate.
- Don’t Complain – Just Train.
- The more you learn — The more you earn.
- Don’t Curse – Rehearse.
- Don’t fight – Enlight!
- To attain — You gotta train.
- Don’t be on the dole — Be an expert in your role.
- Become unchained — Go get trained.
- Don’t choke your team! — Just provoke the dream.
- Some will see it — Others will flee it.
- Live the dream – Create an Expert Team
Not mine, but good ones:
- To teach is to learn twice
- “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”