Experience can be a hindrance in today's workplace and inexperience is an undervalued commodity.
That is the hypothesis coming from Rookie Smarts: Why Learning Beats Knowing in the New Game of Work by the leadership expert Liz Wiseman.
By page 50 I became con-vinced of the validity of the argument put forward; I could see through even my own experiences that by always judging current situations on past outcomes, opportunities will be missed.
Being able to look at something as if for the first time is a valuable skill.
Several illustrations from Magic Johnson's rookie season in the NBA to Paul McCartney's post-Beatles career and Nike's ability to quickly recognise the worth of ideas put forward by its newest employees show how often trusting youth or an almost ignorant enthusiasm can result in brilliant strategies and innovations.
In the latter part of the book Wiseman begins to offer the practical steps that older and supposedly wiser executives need to take to tap into their "Rookie Smarts" and become a "perpetual rookie".
At this point an engaging read quickly becomes a textbook that works very hard - and also asks you to - to prove that it is both desirable and possible to transform yourself into a "backpacker, hunter-gatherer, firewalking pioneer".
Always remember to ask for help, "think erratically", "act wholeheartedly", find "the comfort in the discomfort zone", and "ask innocent but probing questions". These are part of the regime. The latter should not be confused with asking stupid questions, according to the author. Wiseman also suggests several experiments to rekindle your rookie smarts including the counter-intuitive "Try to get fired. Instead of playing it safe, just play".
q&a better junior than jaded
Mustafa Alrawi offers more detail on the "rise of the rookie".
What is a rookie exactly?
It is a term very familiar to fans of US sports. Essentially a rookie is someone in their first year of a sport, or new to a profession or activity.
Why should we now think and act like rookies?
The workplace has changed to such a degree, according to the author of the book, Liz Wiseman, that to succeed a new approach is needed and an understanding that in a more fluid environment experience can be a burden.
What changes have their been at work?
According to Wiseman there is now much more volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity in the modern workplace. This has been driven mainly by the faster pace and scale in which we work. There is an abundance of information to contend with and the work cycle is never-ending. Getting your rookie smarts offers "renewal" for those anxious that they may be left behind or overtaken by younger rivals, she says.
So who is Liz Wiseman to offer so much advice?
She is a former Oracle executive and has a background in human resources. Her bio also says she is a leadership expert, author and public speaker. She has been named on the Thinkers50 ranking and has previously written Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter.
malrawi@thenational.ae
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