Experience Hear-See-Do

Research indicates that we retain only 10% of what we hear; 20% of what we see; 65% of what we hear and see; but 90% of what we hear, see, and do.

Every day at work we demonstrate Hear-See-Do when we use a combination of our knowledge, wisdom and skill to perform a task or plan what we will do at a later date. This combination of intellect, insight and ability is called experience.

Experience

One of my favorite sayings is, "It's not what you know that counts; it's what you do with what you know that counts." In other words, knowledge by itself is useless and unproductive. It's only when we act on the data, facts and information and apply them in a particular situation or circumstance that we in fact gain experience.

Here are a few simple yet profound truths about experience:

  • We learn from our experiences. If they are positive, we tend to repeat them again and again until we become proficient and our skill levels increase. If they are negative, we file them away in the back of our minds as cautions or red flags to be recalled when a potentially dangerous situation threatens.

  • To experience is to be actively involved. An experience is gained when we wholeheartedly become engaged in an activity or are constantly involved with people over a period of time.

  • Experiences are dynamic. It's really up to us to take charge of our experiences and not let them just happen to us.

  • We are shaped by our experiences. They are the sum total of things we have done, had done to us as well as our past thoughts and feelings.

  • We impact others through our experiences. When we demonstrate an increased ability to work collaboratively with others, their experience levels increase also.

  • Experiences are the foundation of success. Success results when we apply the invaluable lessons we learn from our experiences and move forward. Failure happens when we allow our experiences to stop us or hold us back.

    • What About You?

    Your work related experience is an integral part of who you are, and consists of every job or assignment you have ever had. Over the next week, take a small career break-a time-out to reconsider, reflect and focus on your career direction.

    You determine how much time your break will be. Timing is not as important as actually taking the break itself. Here are a few thoughts to get you started:

    • Reflect on the last time you took a good look at your work experience.

    • Identify 3 things you could do differently on your job to positively impact your career.

    • Develop a plan to overcome the obstacles that are holding you back at work.

    Althea DeBrule, entrepreneur and seasoned human resources executive, has focused for more than 30 years on helping people achieve their career goals. Creator of The Extreme-Career-Makeover? and a founding partner of RADSGroup Organizational Consultants, she is recognized for her bottom line and practical application of career development and management strategies in a way that penetrates hearts and compels action. She speaks and teaches with inspired talent, humor and contagious zeal at management conferences and leadership retreats nationwide, and has been featured in CFO Magazine, Strategy@Work, Human Resource Executive Magazine. Althea is the author of Bosses & Orchards, a compelling and candid book about how to make your work relationship with your boss succeed. To discover how you can take your career to a new level, visit http://www.extreme-career-makeover.com/.


    More Resources

    The Perfect Fit: Women & Franchising
    An interesting combination of factors at this time in history may be the reason so many women are turning to franchising to fulfill their entrepreneurial desires. Women's increased financial power, better education, and corporate experience, combined with their desire for more autonomy and desire to connect with others who share their values make franchising a great fit for many women.
    3 Secrets to Landing a Home-Based Position
    Landing a telecommute position isn't easy. Finding them in the first place is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
    Using Recruiters: How To Get A Step Ahead Of The Crowd
    When there is an opening to fill, a company has four basic approaches at their disposal:? Advertise the position on Internet job sites? Network? Probe the Internet for viable candidates? Use recruitersWhen a company advertises an opening on an Internet job site, they receive hundreds of resumes. It simply is too long of a process and financially prohibitive to review every resume and move through each step of the interviewing and selection process to fill the opening.
    Top Ten Networking Strategies To Get A Job, A Promotion, Or Make A Sale
    Whether you are networking to find a new job opportunity, gain a promotion, or close a sale, you have two main goals with the networking interaction:1. To be remembered so that when opportunities appear, people will think of you as the perfect person to handle things,2.
    How Can Qualifications Help Your Proof Reading Career?
    For those who are looking for a career as a proofreader, it is important to have the right qualifications. It is important to remember that this is a proper job.
    Job Tips For The Frustrated Job Seeker
    There is nothing more frustrating and depressing when you are out of work and trying to find a job and your job search is going no where. Don't feel bad, you are not alone and there is a good reason why searching for a new job can be so difficult.
    Supplement Your Skills and Improve Your Work Position
    It is often said that the majority of people are but a few checks away from homelessness. Without a consistent income, this may be a true statement.
    Resume Writing Dos and Donts
    5 Interviewing Tips To Get That Job!
    Anyone who is a jobseeker knows that looking for a new job or career is a job in itself. Once you have completed the laborious task of writing your resume and submitting it to various companies, you now have to pass the screen test to get the job.
    Kill the Hype
    She was waiting for me when I returned from a meeting. Standing outside my office door, I could tell by her downward glance, Jodie was not there to give me good news on the project.
    How To Conduct A Successful Job Search Campaign
    1.Define your objective: Know what kind of work you most enjoy and perform the best.
    Your Attitude Is Screaming
    There is more attitude around than the 'traditional 'positive / negative attitude. This issue's topic will expose you to the other kind of attitude.
    Are Your References Ready?
    One of the most common forms of background check performed by companies hiring new employees is the reference check. They typically request that candidates provide them with three names of previous bosses.
    How to Answer The Most Difficult Interview Questions
    The following 'difficult' questions are common to most tricky or adversarial interviews. In order to convince the interviewer that you are the best person for the job, you must prepare and rehearse your answers meticulously.
    When the Teacher Becomes the Student
    A relationship expert once said that during an argument, there's usually three sides to every story: his side, her side, and of course, the truth.This is something we must definitely keep in mind as teachers.
    Searching for an Executive Job
    A job search for executives is far less complicated today than it has been in the past. Anyone who is looking for an executive job can simply look to the Internet where there are hundreds of employment websites, with many specifically geared towards executives.
    Make A Lasting Impression With Interview Etiquette
    (Des Moines, Iowa - February 2, 2005) Behaving appropriately during every course of an interview is just one way to increase your success with finding a job. Here are some tips to consider before you're seated across from your interviewer.
    Why Well Produced Career Portfolios Are Replacing CVs
    What is a Career Portfolio?The original portfolio used by artists looking for work was simply a collection of works demonstrative of the artists style and ability. Because their works varied in size and shape, portfolios came in all sizes and shapes.
    Intuition: The Secret To Your Career Success
    For far too long, we moderns have relied on our analytical/logical brain to make important life decisions. It is my belief that our imaginative/creative brain holds the key to better, smarter and more soulful decisions.
    Feedback: Take It or Leave It ... But Get It
    The expense was substantial. An immersion workshop with twelve participants sharing a common goal to hone their skills.

    More Careers & Employment Information:

    Related Articles

    Job Search: Time Management
    There is an old adage that "Looking for a job is harder than working." How true! The rigors of job search are magnified by the turmoil we experience: lack of self-confidence, humiliation, financial pressure, and the undercurrent of emotions that color all we do: fear, anger, depression, anxiety, loss.
    Shades of Grey
    A paperweight sits on my desk, etched in silver the message: Life isn't always black and white. It serves as a reminder there are few absolutes at work (or in life).
    Job Search - Understand Employers
    Think like an employerTo be successful in your job search campaign you must think like an employer or a recruiter. If you are going to do this right, you need to appreciate the ways that employers sift through the flood of resumes.
    Searching for an IT Job
    Looking for an IT job is one of the easiest to perform due to the incredibly high demand in the IT field. As the Internet grows, corporations network through Intranets - even the advancement of science has the demand for anyone with IT skills at an all time high.
    Unlimit Your Life!
    Do you have a tendency to think in absolutes?Is everything good or bad, black or white?This type of thinking can severely limit your options. Or worse, prevent you from getting an accurate picture of what'spossible.
    Kick-In-The-Pants Job Search
    Believe it: three obstacles will hold you back from your ideal job -- your résumé, you, and your job-search methods. There's no hidden formula; there's no bribery needed; there's no one standing in front of employment - other than YOU!You've probably heard all the excuses, or used them yourself.
    Sweeping Up Worms
    With the opening of a new venture and numerous reporters arriving in an hour, it felt like one of those "chickens with heads off" days. We were close, but not ready.
    Get Your Dream Job!
    Anyone who is a jobseeker knows that looking for a new job or career is a job in itself. Once you have completed the laborious task of writing your resume and submitting it to various companies, you now have to pass the screen test to get the job.
    Applying for a Job in China
    Working in ChinaWorking in China is very common now. Either you are sent to China by your company or you apply for a job to be stationed in China.
    Job! Money! Career!
    Feel somehow your life is stuck in MS-OFFICE - The reality of life for MBAs is Excel or PowerPoint , I heard Google is catching up at campus. Having gone through this myself, (I am still not out of it!), having had the nightmare of freshly minted MBAs reporting to me every year ( 90% of MBAs in their first job believe that their first Boss in Incompetent) and struggling to manage their transition to reality, guess I am now in a position to give some Gyan on assessing your job and career moves.
    War Time Hiring: 5 Steps to Attract Top Talent
    A recent report, titled "The War for Talent" stated that over the next 20 years, employee talent will be what differentiates successful companies from those going bust. The late 90's gave us a glimpse of the talent war, but was nothing compared to what's ahead.
    Seven Tips to a Job-Winning Interview
    These days, interviews don't come easily. When you get The Call, make the most of your time -- and go for it!1.
    Is Your Resume Doing ITS Job?
    Is it opening doors to new opportunities? Does it compel the reader to think, "Hey! This applicant can ?put that one on top of the 'call in for an interview' pile!" Does it showcase what you have accomplished for past employers as well as what you can accomplish for the potential employer?Your resume is your personal marketing tool that must immediately convey to the reader that you CAN and WILL be a positive driving force to further their organization's mission. They have a need to QUICKLY get thru all the resumes received in response to their job posting so you've got to QUICKLY grab their attention.
    Preparing For An Interview
    When preparing for an interview, you need to know your skills, experiences and achievements, and how to answer interview questions.Your SkillsBecome an expert about yourself.
    What to Do if You are Over 40 and Have Lost Your Job
    Unexpectedly loosing your job can be a very traumatic and distressing experience at the best of times. If you are over 40 and can't find the job you deserve, you will need great inner strength and self belief to come out on top.
    Recruiting Excellent Job Candidates
    An independent recruiter, recruiting agency or executive search firm is charged with tracking down excellent potential candidates for available job positions. Despite the fact that there are innumerable people seeking positions of employment in the 21st century, it often seems to a typical recruiting agency that qualified men and women are few and far between.
    How To Write The Perfect Cover Letter: Be Brief--And Be Gone!
    The best cover letters are 'one-page wonders.' Why? Because they suit today's busy employers who are already overloaded and often overwhelmed.
    Hair Dressing as a Career
    Since the world started hair has been a very important aspect of individual personality and with the change in time hair has emerged as a big form of self expression for both men and women.In todays world everyone wants to look beautiful, everyone wants to get compliment from their friends and its a well known fact that when you look good you feel good and then you work better.
    The Global Work Marketplace - The Revolution Of How Work Gets Done
    Will cubicles be a distant memory for today's workforce? Will the expense of office space and the tremendous burden of employee benefits be a thing of the past for modern day businesses?The reality is, for thousands of people, this change has already occurred. Internet based 'Service Auctions' now abound where businesses can post their ongoing jobs or one-time projects to a global market of freelance professionals, a.
    Take the Personal Out of the Workplace: Leave Your Troubles at the Door!
    Bringing your emotional baggage into the work place is inappropriate for all the reasons you may imagine. Yet employees, managers and business owners do it all the time.