The Making of an Expert August 14
Harvard Business Review (08/07) Vol. 85, P. 114; Ericsson, K. Anders; Prietula, Michael J.; Cokely, Edward T.
Executives often find “natural ability” and other indefinable characteristics represent expertise to some firms, but some critics argue that expertise is actually the fruit borne of consistent practice. Moreover, true expert performance can lead to consistently and measurably improved results–a boon to any business–but simple practice is not enough for an individual to move from competence to true expertise. When beginning to learn a skill, most people find repetitive practice is enough to increase their performance over a short period, but eventually their improvement will level off. At this point, they must begin to engage in “deliberate practice,” which involves thinking through the consequences of many different approaches, testing out those approaches, and using skills that are undeveloped. Without this deliberative practice, their level of skill is unlikely to improve further. Coaches and mentors with the skills executives are seeking to develop are the best sources of knowledge about which deliberative practices are most useful in improving those abilities; these partners provide critical feedback as well. Executives should observe peers with the skills they need in order to learn how those skills are used to solve various problems.