"Fundamentals is Spelled F-U-N- . . . "
"Gentlemen, this is a football."
This is reportedly how legendary coach Vince Lombardi started spring football every year.
Not with peewee kids, as you might have expected. We're talking seasoned professionals—masters of the gridiron.
Coach Lombardi made no bones about the importance of reviewing the fundamentals. And he had the winning record to back it up.
I had a professor who used to say that motivation is the ability to endure pain and boredom. It can be painfully boring going over the same material again and again, can't it?
Did I mention that the same professor made $2000 per hour in consulting fees? Not too shabby!
What was his secret?
He read at least one book in his field of study every month and stayed current on the academic journals. In other words: he reviewed the fundamentals as a matter of routine.
There are many ways we can keep things fresh in our minds. One of my favorites is "talking shop."
About three years into my flooring career I moved back home to Idaho to accept a retail sales position. Soon I had a crew of seven colleagues I consulted with on any question I had. They had a combined 142 years of flooring experience! (And that's not even including my many installers and product reps.)
Many times they answered my questions with stories about different jobs they had done. My knowledge grew exponentially as a result.
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In their book Made to Stick brothers Chip and Dan Heath discuss the value of talking shop and telling stories to the learning process.
Swapping work stories with our colleagues is not just idle chit chat. It's a critical component to building camaraderie, acquiring knowledge, and solving problems.
When we tell stories we are doing three things all at once:
By being "part entertainment and part instruction," explain the Heath brothers, "shop talk conveys important clues about how to respond to the world."
How often does this happen: after hearing your colleagues' stories about similar situations you come away with not just one but maybe two or three ways of solving your problem?
It happens to me all the time and I am forever grateful for anyone who takes the time to share their experiences with me.
Mastering the fundamentals does not have to be all pain and boredom. Done right, It can be a genuinely fun part of the job.
What are your favorite ways to learn new things or review the fundamentals? Let me know in the comments.
If you'd like to learn more about the benefits of talking shop check out Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath and Dan Heath.