BRX Pro Tip: Knowledge vs Experience
Stone Payton: And we’re back with Business RadioX Pro Tips. Stone Payton and Lee Kantor here with you. Lee, let’s explore for a moment the distinction between knowledge and experience.
Lee Kantor: Yeah. This is something that comes into play a lot, especially with new people to an industry versus somebody who has really a long time in that industry. So, knowledge of a subject and experience with that same subject are not the same thing, obviously. Knowledge, a lot of times, is a theoretical understanding about the subject. That’s what you would learn from a book, a course, or just, you know, even your personal observation. But an experience is the practical application. This is what you gain by doing, by facing challenges, by navigating real world complexities.
Lee Kantor: And this is important for the customer, really, to discern between who has knowledge of a subject and who has experience with that same subject. And it matters in a couple of ways. Knowledge is going to provide some sort of a foundation, but experience is what builds that kind of skill, the intuition, and the confidence to actually deliver results in a variety of circumstances.
Lee Kantor: Number two, experience often reveals the nuances and the unforeseen obstacles that pure knowledge just can’t prepare you for. You know, what sounds good in a book, or a webinar, or some type of learning that is kind of superficial is not going to help you when things are really happening in a chaotic, high pressure situation. That’s where experience really pays dividends.
Lee Kantor: And the best professionals, the ones who really are the ones that customers should hire, they’re the ones that can blend both. They have the learning. They have the foundational learning. They also are keeping up to date with new learnings. But they also have that hands on practice that is going to take that learning, the hypothetical and theoretical learning, and they’ve actually implemented in real life situations.
Lee Kantor: So, they’re going to kind of be the best of both worlds. They’re the ones you want to really count on. They’re the ones that really can serve their clients at a deeper level. And they’re the ones that are going to deliver the results that their clients want. Because they’re going to have that base knowledge. They’re going to be that lifelong learner. They’re going to keep up to date with what the industry needs and is doing. Plus, they will be the ones that are actually delivering results in real time with real customers today.
Lee Kantor: So one, knowledge kind of teaches you what to do, and experience shows you how to do it well, and you want to hire people that can deliver on both.
