Blog

Spending time in the sweet spot

As we learn, we go through four distinct phases.

- Unconscious incompetence - we don't know what we need to do

- Conscious competence - we know what we need to do but we can't yet do it

- Conscious competence - we know what we need to do and we can do it if we think about it

- Unconscious competence - we know what we need to do and we can do it without thinking about it

The fourth step has some advantages; we are running on autopilot and it feels effortless and natural. There is a risk though, because in this state we can begin to drift away from some of the good practices we learnt, or stop moving forward in our craft. 

By making time for deliberate and intentional practice, by going back to the simple basic building blocks of your craft or endeavour, you can keep aiming for mastery and be ready to carry out things with minimal effort and thinking when you need to.

The sweet spot between conscious competence and unconscious competence feels like an important place to spend time.

To Keep Your Balance, Keep Moving Forward

As a keen cyclist, I have followed the exploits of riders in the Tour de France closely over recent weeks. There are mixed views about how dramatic or otherwise the Tour has been, but the time margins have certainly been smaller than in previous years. This has meant that the key focus has been on executing each day’s race plan effectively. It’s a wonderful example of what human beings can achieve with enough focus and determination.

Cycling has had its highs, lows, and controversy, but I still really admire the extent to which individuals and teams stretch themselves mentally and physically. The Tour de France is gruelling, with a long preparation phase.

From media interviews with riders, you get a strong sense of focus on each day as it comes, rather than on any overall result they may achieve. The riders are focussed to win, but you see a steely determination to stay focussed on the daily process of racing rather than the outcome. They trust that everything that they have done up to this point will get them the best results, if they stay focussed on the process.

There are some great words attributed to Einstein, “Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance, keep moving forward”. These words come to mind when I think about the Tour de France, not just because of the cycling, but because they are a reminder to keep moving forward every day. Moving forward is essential to keep yourself balanced when you approach both professional and personal goals.

We can learn from all walks of life, and professional sport can provide a wonderful example of what people can achieve. Watching the Tour has reminded me of the great importance of setting goals, developing awareness of daily habits, cultivating focus, and preparing for surprises for both teams and individuals tackling any sort of plan or idea.

In the market research sector, and in many others, it can be a challenge to stay focussed in a fast-changing world. Rapidly changing opportunities, technologies, and partnerships make focussing on the day to day process paramount to success. Staying focussed and executing the day to day process well is an essential but difficult process at both a business and personal level.