In our series of BLOG posts on the wisdom we glean from the Book of Proverbs, we noted frequently how the person of wisdom is continually open to learn and grow. In contrast, the arrogant person believes that they already know it all and therefore aren't open to new things or to feedback from others who might see things differently.
Liz Wiseman, in her recent book Rookie Smarts, supports this through her research. When we know something we tend to see what we know. Once we've seen a pattern we 'assume' and we stop thinking because we already know. She notes that the more we know the less likely we are to learn. Experience can build blind spots.
Liz goes to to show how we often do our best work when we don't know something and we're making efforts to finding out what we need to know. When we are in 'rookie mode', we are curious and inquisitive, we ask lots of questions, we listen, and we seek feedback. Instead of doing a a lot of telling, we focus on collaboration with others.
Think about a time when you felt like a rookie? Ask yourself these questions:
1. What could you see that others couldn't?
2. Who did you seek for guidance?
3. What did you do to prove yourself quickly?
4. How did you get feedback and stay on track?
5. How did you recover from mistakes?
When something is new and hard, we take risks, we work hard, we collect information, we reach out to others, we are persistent, and we listen because we don't know everything.
Could you benefit from putting your "L" plates on or taking the stance of a Rookie?
Quotes worth Reflecting On:
"We don't see things as they are; we see things as we are." Anais Nin (French author)
"Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored." Aldous Huxley (English philosopher)
"The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." Sir Arthur Doyle (Scottish novelist)
"We find comfort among those who agree with us, and growth among those who don't." Frank A. Clark (minister and newspaper columnist)
Proverbs 18:15. Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge. NLT