What It Takes To Be An Expert
Posted on March 6, 2006
There are 3 levels:
- Dropout
- Amateur
- Expert
If you are good at something or if you are passionate enough about something, you generally get past the dropout stage and enter the amateur stage and if you work hard, you will master the amateur stage. According to Kathy Sierra:
The only thing standing between you-as-amateur and you-as-expert is dedication. All that talk about prodigies? We could all be prodigies (or nearly so) if we just put in the time and focused. At least that’s what the brain guys are saying. Best of all–it’s almost never too late.
The difference between amateur and expert is dedication. Once we master amateur, that’s when it get’s hard again. It takes work to take it up a notch and master the little details that make the expert the expert.
But the most troubling–and where we have the most leverage–is with the amateur who is satisfied with where they are. These are the folks who you overhear saying, “Yes, I know there’s a better way to do this thing, but I already know how to do it this [less efficient, less powerful] way and it’s easy for me to just keep doing it like that.” In other words, they made it past the suck threshold, but now they don’t want to push for new skills and capabilities.
There’s a suck threshold between dropout and amateur to push through and there’s also one between amateur and expert. That’s the point where you are having to work hard to master new skills. Check out Creating Passionate Users to get the full scoop on this.
Popularity: 14% [?]
Other posts by Jim Walton
»
