Guest articles

Which is more important: Skills, Knowledge OR Experience?
If you could only pick two which two would you choose?

It is often suggested that knowledge is power. Knowledge is important and a fundamental basis of intelligence, but does it mean you understand it or can apply it? Also, knowledge with application is just education. A book you read, that you do not learn from is a waste of time. A skill that you learn, but never practice is just a theory.

So if skills that are unapplied are theory, and knowledge not applied is just learning where can you bring attitude into the equation. What is important to note is that we all want to learn new skills and gain knowledge, and the brain is hungry and eager to digest new things. Just look at the prolific rise in social media usage and the demise of paper media in favor of digital. Now mix that with fake news and who and what do you believe.

Simply how you decide to apply knowledge and skills is a case of MINDSET. If you have a fixed MINDSET you will tend to not what to learn new skills or apply them and will continue taking the same actions or following the same habits, which will probably lead to the same outcome or result. If you have a GROWTH MINDSET you are much more likely to try new ideas, practice and apply new skills and also accept that failing is part of the process.

As an example. A child crawls, looks up and sees it parent standing on its legs. The child may try to pull itself up on a piece of furniture, but immediately falls over. They may be unharmed and just have a bruised ego, but they are determined to try again, learn another technique, and quickly learn to balance, walk and run. If every baby was of a fixed mindset they would never walk, eat solid foods or learn to talk.

As we get older you find that both aptitude or skills, coupled with knowledge can then be applied together to create action. The success of this action is then based on attitude, eg a positive mindset, this will work, and if it doesn’t I will try again or try something else. Or a fixed mindset or negative attitude, this will NOT work, I knew it wouldn’t and you give up. So each time you approach a new task or idea, ask yourself do I have the right knowledge, skills and attitude for this task. If not identify which is lacking. Give it a try and then practice, do not fear failure as you are then one step closer to mastery of a task.

"Your Attitude not your Aptitude will determine your Altitude" – Zig Ziglar