Mistake Driven Learning
Jim Harris in Blogs, Data Quality tagged Best of 2009, Humor, Philosophy Thursday, October 8, 2009 at 8:21PM In his Copyblogger article How to Stop Making Yourself Crazy with Self-Editing, Sean D'Souza explains:
“Competency is a state of mind you reach when you’ve made enough mistakes.”
One of my continuing challenges is staying informed about the latest trends in data quality and its related disciplines, including Master Data Management (MDM), Dystopian Automated Transactional Analysis (DATA), and Data Governance (DG) – I am fairly certain that one of those three things isn't real, but I haven't figured out which one yet.
I read all of the latest books, as well as the books that I was supposed to have read years ago, when I was just pretending to have read all of the latest books. I also read the latest articles, whitepapers, and blogs. And I go to as many conferences as possible.
The basis of this endless quest for knowledge is fear. Please understand – I have never been afraid to look like an idiot. After all, we idiots are important members of society – we make everyone else look smart by comparison.
However, I also market myself as a data quality expert. Therefore, when I consult, speak, write, or blog, I am always at least a little afraid of not getting things quite right. Being afraid of making mistakes can drive you crazy.
But as a wise man named Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel (wisely better known by only his first name) lyrically taught us back in 1991:
“We're never gonna survive unless, we get a little crazy.”
“It’s not about getting things right in your brain,” explains D’Souza, “it’s about getting things wrong. The brain has to make hundreds, even thousands of mistakes — and overcome those mistakes — to be able to reach a level of competency.”
So, get a little crazy, make a lot of mistakes, and never stop learning.
Related Posts
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Reader Comments (8)
Jim, you've basically summed up [in a fraction of the words] what I was hoping to write about next week - damn you!!!
I was reviewing all of the hundreds of articles that you, Data Quality Pro and the entire DQ community have created this past year and came to one conclusion - this is irrelevant if people don't act.
The key to data quality is not reading all of this material, useful that it is, it's about running with it, falling flat on your face, picking yourself up, learning what didn't work, why and then figuring it all out again.
I remember my first DQ gig, it went like a dream, I learned so much, took it to my next site and failed miserably, different culture, different politics yada yada yada...
So, you're absolutely right, we never stop learning, I certainly learn something new every day by reading posts from the fantastic community we're all members of but the lessons are never truly learned unless we act on it.
Great post as ever Jim.
Jim,
A thought provoking post - as always.
There is a Chinese proverb that says:
“Tell me and I'll forget; Show me and I may remember; Involve me and I'll understand.”
I have found the above to be very true, especially when seeking to brief a large team on a new policy or process. Interaction with the audience generates involvement and a better understanding.
The challenge facing books, whitepapers, blog posts etc. is that they usually "Tell us," they often "Show us," but they seldom "Involve us."
Hence, we struggle to remember, and struggle even more to understand. We learn best by "doing" and by making mistakes.
Rgds Ken
Fear can be your best friend which keeps you safe or your worst enemy that prevents you from doing anything.
As in life, nothing is black & white.
Knowledge can be gained from experience and learning from mistakes or it is passed on - "trust me when I say swimming in a vat of acid is bad for you."
The experience of doing it for yourself is the most dangerous in terms of getting it wrong and most rewarding in terms of understanding. Pay too much attention to fear though and you'll never dare to experience anything. Pay too little respect and you're a goner.
If a lion cub never overcomes the fear of being kicked by a gazelle then it won't survive for long in adulthood. However, the fearless cub that got killed under a large herd didn't learn from it's parents.
Reading and listening to others is merely data collection. Sorting that data into information to enable you to experience for yourself in a safe way is knowledge acquisition.
Killing your first gazelle is crazy, but you'll survive for now. Perhaps I should have used seals as an anology instead of lions to maintain the theme.
In my experience, the fear of looking like an idiot is actually one of the barriers to getting people to buy into information/data quality change or Data Governance.
In a lot of cases people are faced with having to effectively say that the way they've been doing things is wrong. Kind of like the way an addict has to admit they have a problem before they can change their behaviour.
Some of the smartest people I've worked with have been the ones who have been able to recognise that they were wrong, accept it, and then present the change in direction in a way that didn't peeve anyone else but got people on board for the change.
The most powerful words I've ever heard uttered by a senior executive are "Well, this obviously isn't working... what do I need to change?"
Einstein tells us that the term used to describe people who keep doing the same things expecting a different outcome is idiot.
So... are you looking like an idiot when you admit your mistakes or are you really the smartest cookie in the room?
"Being afraid of making mistakes can drive you crazy" but facing those fears is what drives us towards knowledge, experience and perfection.
It's takes people like you, Dylan and the rest of your blogging / authoring colleagues, who front up to those fears and risk not getting things quite right in the mass exposure world of social media that is advancing our trade at an incredible pace.
I find the risk of standing up and talking to my convictions re: MDM and Data Governance a drug, it's an adrenaline rush that isn't far off the one that I used to get when I had to jump out of a more than comfortable airplane with a hankie above my head. Keep taking risks, and getting things wrong, without people like you thoughts would not get provoked in others, and advancement opportunities would be missed.
And, if all else fails, being a little bit crazy makes life a lot more interesting ...
I learned a very important thing, which is more relevant in these difficult economic times:
If you want to achieve something, then you have to move out of your comfort zone.
And if you do this, in time this zone will be enlarged. This (and endurance) is the key of every success in my opinion.
For example, maybe you can feel you are an idiot by blogging, but from my point of view you are expert in the DQ area.
And this is important.
Thanks very much everyone for your comments.
Special thanks to Charles and Tibor for the kind words.
I have said it before, but it deserves to be repeated:
The best part of blogging is the dialogue and discussion provided via comments from my readers.
Best Regards…
Jim
Jim,
Love your approach! Improvement is difficult without having mistakes to learn from.
I look forward to reading more of your posts in the future!
Brenda