I’ve been thinking about the whole “it takes 10,000 hours to be an expert” thing, and I’ve come to one conclusion:
Most people are getting it wrong.
If you’re quoting it at me, especially in terms of business or technology, you’re taking it out of context.
The 10,000 hour rule comes from Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Outliers
It’s about people who stand out as the best of the best, because they spent 10,000 hours practicing their skills, while the “still pretty damn good” crowd only spent 8,000 hours.
Here’s where people get it wrong: Gladwell did not say that if you want to be good, if you want to be an expert, at something, you have to spend 10,000 hours doing it (which is about 4 hours a day, every day, for almost 7 years).
But people continually misquote the rule (mostly because they haven’t read the book), and then misapply it to the use of tools.
“If you haven’t used these tools for 10,000 hours, then you can’t call yourself an expert,” they say.
That’s what is commonly known in the business world as “a load of crap.”
Tying expertise into time spent using a tool is just plain stupid. If I want an expert carpenter to build a deck for my house, I’m not looking for a guy who has spent 10,000 hours swinging a hammer. I want a guy who has spent 10,000 hours building things.
If a contractor has spent 10,000 hours swinging a hammer, but can’t measure and cut to save his life, then I don’t want him. If he doesn’t know to use treated lumber, or that we need concrete pilings below the frost line, which is 42″ 36″ in Central Indiana, then I don’t want him. If he’s an expert at using a tool, but can’t see the bigger picture, he’s the wrong guy to build my deck. (Update: The frost line is 36″ in Indiana. Thanks to Chris for pointing out the error.)
I’d rather have the guy who has spent a lot of time building things, whether it’s decks, houses, barns, or pergolas. That’s someone who knows how to use the tools he’s got. He’s not an expert at pounding nails, he’s an expert at creating. He knows the material, he knows joinery technique, he knows which fasteners work best. The tools don’t matter — he could use a hammer and a hand saw, or a nail gun and a chop saw — it’s what he builds with them that matters.
The same is true in the business setting. The expert is not someone who has spent 10,000 hours using a particular tool or a piece of software. The expert is someone who knows their subject matter, knows how to use it to their customers’ advantage, and and can properly use the tools to create something great with them.
The expert is the person who can use their skills and knowledge to make a profitable and successful business. They write books. They give talks. They are paid to apply their skills and knowledge. They are not experts because they spent 5 – 10 years using a particular piece of software. They’re experts because they know how to do great things with it, even if they’ve only used it for a year.
It’s time to stop labeling people as experts or non-experts through the misapplication of some misquoted rule meant only to apply to the astonishingly-skilled in a specialized field. It’s time to look at a person’s results and successes, not a time card.
Photo credit: Simpologist (Flickr)
About Erik Deckers
Erik,
Great post on the nature of expertise. It has nothing to do with tools; everything to do with deep understanding. The expert builder will naturally gravitate to the best tools and/or hire “tool experts” to contribute to the bigger vision of the cathedral.
Hey Chris, thanks for pointing out the error. I had done some basic research and someone on Yahoo Answers had said 42″. I did some further checking, and found a contractor forum that said it was 36″. If that’s still wrong, then I don’t know what it is.
I think you are spot on with this. Too many people throw out the 10,000 hour rule without really knowing what it means.
However, the frost line in Indiana is not 42″. Other than that, great comments.