Competence vs. Possibility

Seth Godin once again reminds us that by acknowledging our wonderfully natural human imperfections, we can learn to be more honest and open ... and therefore more progressive and effective.

He writes in Competence vs. possibility:

As we get more experienced, we get better, more competent, more able to do our thing.

And it's easy to fall in love with that competence, to appreciate it and protect it. The pitfall? We close ourselves off from possibility.

Possibility, innovation, art--these are endeavors that not only bring the whiff of failure, they also require us to do something we're not proven to be good at. After all, if we were so good at it that the outcome was assured, there'd be no sense of possibility.

We often stop surprising ourselves (and the market) not because we're no good anymore, but because we are good. So good that we avoid opportunities that bring possibility.

I attempt to apply this to more than professional problem-solving and team managing ... but also to parenting, photography, and even new powder skiing techniques (with all that great snow last winter).

Thanks again Seth.