Mark LeBusque

Experience Or Experienced

What came first – the chicken or the egg?

It’s a question that has been pondered for years and years with no real resolution as far as I know.

It’s a bit the same with the construct of experience and experienced.

Who’s ever uttered the words “they don’t have the experience”, or even “they’ve got too much experience and will get bored quickly”? Ring any bells for you fellow humans?

As most of you know Allison and I are on our annual ‘Life Design – Experimental Adventure’ where we base ourselves in Tasmania for a month and do virtual work Tuesday-Thursday and then head out exploring this amazing state from Friday-Monday.

One activity very popular in Tasmania is hiking and I will use this to start to get underneath experience and experienced.

We are certainly not experienced hikers and tend to stick to the moderate level hikes of up to 11-12klms. Before we hiked to the Montezuma Falls on our last trip you could say we had no experience. We weren’t equipped with the appropriate footwear, safety gear (no first aid kit) or supplies in the way of food. However, we have now done Montezuma Falls, Liffey Falls, Cradle Mountain Hut, Hogarth Falls, The Henty Dunes and just this week Echo Point to Mt St Clair. Each time after a new experience of hiking are we becoming more experienced? Damn right we are.

This shows in the way we prepare now, the clothing and footwear we use, the provisions of water and food we take and the way we now pace ourselves knowing that the terrain is undulating and at times dangerous.

My question is: Should we have ever taken such a pursuit on with no experience to begin with?

The answer is yes because that’s what life is about – new experiences and adventures.

I like these definitions of experience and experienced that highlight what comes first relating to the hiking story:
Experience
 practical knowledge, skill, or practice derived from direct observation of or participation in events or in a particular activity
Experienced
made skillful or wise through experience 

So it would seem that with each experience we are becoming experienced in hiking.

Now lets relate that to the absurdity of the act of hiring in the workplace.

Too often I hear that someone didn’t get the promotion because they didn’t have any experience in the role!! Well done Captain Obvious? What a cop out this is and a way of playing a safe game and following the old Management 101 “manage like a robot” workbook.

There’s also the other end of the scale where it’s that they’re too experienced and will get bored!! Feeling threatened anyone?

It’s time to change your story when thinking about experience and experienced by considering this:

NOT ENOUGH EXPERIENCE  Think of yourself – how did you get that gig without any experience?

Someone saw something in you that others didn’t (or you didn’t)
Someone believed in you
Someone was prepared to take a risk with you
Someone was prepared to develop you
Someone was prepared to demonstrate leadership and risk their own reputation

TOO MUCH EXPERIENCE Have you ever been told these words?

What’s too much you might say………?
What mentoring opportunities will present themselves through hiring experienced humans
What stage of their life are they at?
Are you threatened? If yes then stepdown from leadership as it’s not for the faint of heart.

BEFORE YOU ROLL OUT THE ‘E’ WORD IT’s IMPORTANT TO CHECK YOUR STORY……don’t be lazy, be HUMAN.