When it comes to work, practice can be more important than experience. Experience comes from doing the same thing over and over again. In today’s business environment that is an opportunity that is increasingly rare. Things move and change. Practice is something different. It involves preparation, reflection, and seeking feedback. It is being purposeful about getting better. It is about conscious learning. That is very different from blind repetition. You can do the same thing over and over and never get better at it. You just get soggy.

I like that.

I have spent many years perfecting a sport technique and his observations about practice becoming less of a chore and more something to be enjoyed, nay relished is very true.  And yet, the better your practice can be “perfect practice” is the only way to become”perfect”.

It’s a natural desire as an adult not to make mistakes.  Children are fantastic at erring – that’s how they learn.  But as adults we hate losing face and so mistakes are something we often seek to avoid.

Business development skills take practice.  When did you last do a cold call? Play with your database and try some new functionality out? go to a trade show and research new products and services?