Learning from a 50+ tennis amateur
Dr. Hemang Shah ??
LinkedIn Top Voice | I share insights on innovation and strategy | Incubate startups in India | Here to learn
I live close to a tennis court and enjoy watching the levels of amateur play. There's a guy, looks upwards of 50 who plays with a neon green racquet. On many weekend afternoons he has a long serving practice session by himself. Later, he has a coach help him with hitting practice. Barring the teens who are preparing for a tennis career, no one on these courts dedicates this much time to their games.
Until one morning when I saw the action on the courts at 6 AM.
The neon green guy was playing a serious doubles match with guys at least 10 years younger to him. Mr. Green has a slight hobble but not his doubles partners. Their serves have more zip and their speed is a few notches higher. Yet, they face a tough prospect. Mr. Green's preparation is the key here.
That's the net takeaway - to be relevant, you have to uplift your game.
Practice when no one's watching. Dedicate sessions where you may feel like crap but stick with the process. Skill development takes time.
But how is this tennis thing relevant to my world?
I think I know what you are thinking ??
In our careers, whether it is in the industry, academia, government, or your business, there are plenty of avenues to up our game. A founder has to be ready to pitch without notice. Industry professionals may be called on for technical input for high stakes decisions. We all need to determine what are some of the main aspects in our professions that demand competence.
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Focus on improving those, consistently. How?
Let's separate learning from practice. I am assuming we have learned from courses, books etc. That's our base.
Practice develops our game.
I've had the fortune of being a part of professional societies where colleagues from similar domain come together to solve problems. These forums bring together experts alongside new joinees. Both learn from each other. Both also challenge each other. Your skill gains by active participation.
Your learning definitely increases on the domain topics. You also learn how different organisations function. You appreciate the diversity of opinions.
Your game will go up by a few notches.
Build a base. Practice consistently.
Just like Mr. Green.
Happy Ideating!
Hemang.
Process Engineer at Johnson Matthey
1 个月Chapter 8 broken
IP & Legal LEAD
5 个月Valid point. Would relate this to atomic habits that need to be developed for oneself, 'when no one is watching'. Easier said than done, but 'consistency' is the game changer.
IP Professional
5 个月I liked that the guy first spent time on the field himself and realised that a coach can help him. The whole process is worth thinking about, especially in other fields then game as well.
16+ Years' Recruitment Experience for India & Africa | Executive Resume Writer | Talent Acquisition Expert since 2007 | Unstop Top Mentor | Podcast Host - Expert Talk by Vipul The Wonderful | Top 1% Mentor at Topmate
5 个月Thought-provoking! Practice makes one perfect.
Intellectual Property Professional
5 个月The best way to learn or practice is to teach others. Be it an IP tool, Experimental Designs or YOGA - once you reach a particular level, start teaching to others. In the process, you will come across scenarios that you alone would not have thought about. My wife started learning yoga several years ago. But for last 5 years (minus COVID restrictions) she started “teaching” yoga for FREE within our community. I see her invest a lot of time learning new techniques especially before events like International Yoga Day - in the process she continues to upgrade her skills.