Why it pays to be old

The value of experience can be hard to judge. You only know for sure when you find yourself in a situation that demands it, and you perform – or not.

Without the right experience, it’s easy to get oneself and others bogged down in the wrong areas when a challenge presents itself writes Hilary Briggs, management consultant.

A symptom of lack of experience includes people coming in to a situation with a belief that “the answer is X” –  and not prepared to consider other options.

In many situations, you can work your way through. Experience is less important as you have time to consider your next move, talk to experts and work out solutions as you go along. It’s only in crisis situations, where there can be little margin for error, that experience is worth so much more than even its weight in gold.

The challenge with SME’s in particular is often the lack of resource. So fewer people – perhaps just you – have to cover many bases. Secondly, even if you want to recruit expertise, without at least some knowledge, it can be hard to tell whether someone really has it, or is just a good talker. The truth is only revealed when that crunch moment arises and they’re put on the spot.

So what are the key benefits of experience?

1. Knowing what to do instinctively – picking the right things to focus on and what to leave out
2. Knowing how to do things – in particular handling a variety of people
3. Having a nose to sniff out whether something is a big issue or not
4. Having a big contact base – being able to call up others for advice straightaway and having people I know and trust
5. No – or at least few - surprises.  I’m less likely to be shocked by something, and better able to anticipate. It helps me to keep calm in crisis situations, with clearer thinking and lower risk of panic measures

It all adds up to the ability to focus effort more effectively and get results faster – exactly what’s required in high pressure situations. So to the crunch question – how to get it and get old ahead of your years?

1. Being on the planet for longer helps! Although having a range of experiences is just as important as having depth of experience in just one field
2. Ensure you’re getting good quality of experience.
3. Observe and learn from others. Take the time to notice what others with more experience do and understand their approaches.

For more information about Hilary Briggs see www.hilarybriggs.co.uk