Adecco Coffee chats: Becoming an expert in your field

Many of us aspire to do more, achieve more, and become experts in our respective fields. However, the path to mastery can often seem elusive, leaving us without the necessary tools and know-how to achieve our goals. In a seminal work published in the Harvard Business Review titled "The Making of an Expert," three researchers extensively studied how experts in various fields achieved success.

Their findings reveal that deliberate practice, not mere repetition, is crucial to skill mastery.

James Clear, the author of "Atomic Habits," explains that deliberate practice must be "purposeful and systematic" and requires "focused attention". This means constantly reflecting on areas of growth and taking immediate action to refine weaknesses. To illustrate the difference between regular practice and deliberate practice, consider the example of John, a sales professional who has just been given 50 leads to cold-call:

• Regular practice: John cold-calls all the leads as quickly as possible, using the same script repeatedly in spite of countless rejections.
• Deliberate practice: After each call, John pauses to reflect on his performance, asking himself questions such as "what did I do well?" and "where did I fall short?" He then uses this feedback to make improvements to his script before moving on to the next lead.

Of the two examples, the latter is more intentional, resulting in refined and tailored processes that naturally lead to stronger results.

It is important to be intentional in our practice, but this must also be supported by good mentors.

Further in the study, the findings revealed that almost all the experts had mentors who guided them at different stages of their skill development. In the early stages of their careers, having mentors who generously invested their time and offered praise was crucial. As the experts progressed, they worked with mentors who had advanced skill sets. These mentors tracked progress, identified areas for improvement, and held the experts accountable for their daily performance.

By understanding and implementing these strategies, you will propel your career to new heights.