I used to hear, “It is not what you know, but who you know.” Today, I believe, it is not who you know or what you know but how fast you can learn.
A friend of mine decided to re-enter her career after an eight-year hiatus. She was concerned that so much change had happened in the fast-paced startup-technology world she could never catch up.
She was right, and she was wrong.
She was right that catching up with all of the change would be hard. She was wrong in thinking that doing so would be necessary. I explained that the tools, trends and networks relevant today would be different in two years, so “catching up” should not be my friend’s goal. Learning what is relevant today and where trends are going should be her focus.
The issue is not what you don’t know but how fast can you learn. Since this friend is one of the best listeners I know, I was confident she could learn quicker and better than almost anybody.
Harvard Business School highlights the importance of listening. When attending a recent class reunion, I heard one of my favorite professors say, “You came here years ago with a story to tell, you left world class listeners.”
Harvard Business School’s case method of teaching is one reason this is true. Each case is “taught” for 90 minutes via group discussion. Led by a skilled professor, each class begins with a “cold call” to one student to open the day’s dialogue with a 10-15 minute summary of the case.
Throughout the class the professor speaks less than 20 minutes in total. Knowing the names, backgrounds, skillsets, etc. of the 80 students in the room, the professor finds ways to pull relevant and accurate information out of each student throughout the year and a handful during every class.
Thus, the students are listening intently for insights, forming questions and looking for opportunities to jump in with relevant contributions as class participation is the cornerstone of each grade.
Repeatedly during the reunion, the instruction was “be approachable,” “break down barriers to communication,” “don’t get stuck in
the ivory tower.” Clearly, the assumption was that in 15 years since graduation, the returning alumni may have achieved enough success to gain responsibility, staff and stature, but they were in the dangerous position of not being told honest feedback.
The underlying message was that to get to the next level, feedback is required. The higher you rise, the more important listening becomes.
The advice was not about the commitment to listen and learn as that is foundational and understood. Good listening takes more. Listening is so critical to success that the skills for doing so need to be honed constantly, and the culture for listening needs to be nurtured throughout the organization.
The more you can hear feedback, particularly constructive criticism, about your failures, the more you will succeed. Truly, the only way to be smart in your career is to consistently be the “dumbest” person in the room.
I think of my own dynamic environment at The Creative Coast, interacting with brilliant entrepreneurs and a super smart young team. I rest in the comfort that I must be learning as I frequently feel like the dumbest person in the room.
On some days, it even feels like I am at the zoo, with me being the animal on display. As I beg for help with new features on my iPhone, I realize evolution has continued far beyond me, but I keep my ears open, listening intently for peanuts as they are tossed into my cage.
Bea Wray is the executive director of The Creative Coast, a not-for-profit organization that promotes the creative and entrepreneurial community within the region. Wray can be reached at 912-447-8457 or bea@thecreativecoast.org.