Experience versus energy
There is a well known story about an old man fixing an engine.
A giant engine in a factory failed and despite speaking with various ‘experts’ none were able to show the owners how they could solve the problem.
Eventually they brought in an old man who had many years’ experience fixing engines. After inspecting the huge engine for a minute or two, the old man pulled a hammer out of his tool bag. He gently tapped on the engine whereupon it immediately started working.
A week later the owners of the business received an invoice from the old man for £10,000. Flabbergasted, they wrote to the old man asking him to send through a breakdown of the invoice. The man replied:
Tapping with a hammer: £2.00
Knowing where to tap: £9,998.00
Someone early in their career journey tends to lack experience. They are full of energy and this drive means that they can work hard for long periods of time and produce things quickly, gradually building that experience. Their speed and volume of work can compensate for their more limited knowledge.
Over time that energy may start to wain but their experience grows. They are more likely to know the best, or at least a better, way of doing something. They can do the same work more efficiently or they may get more difficult tasks to do.
As they grow older the balance of energy versus experience tends to tip even further.
This can show up in the world of sport; football is a great example.
James Milner is now 38 years old and still playing in the Premier League. He is a very different player to when he started out at the age of 16. He now relies on his knowledge, his reading of the game and the experience he has built up over the years. He is not as fast as he once was but his skills have developed and he offers different benefits to his team.
He is renowned for working hard and honing his abilities. He has become a leader and a role model for those around him - someone the younger players can learn from. His hard work and ability to adapt has given him an incredible career and a lot of people expect him to move into some form of football related career in the future.
If you work hard, adapt and build your experience, mentoring and developing others it is possible to build an exceptional career. Experience can give you an edge over energy.
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