You Don’t Know What You Know

Every day I read about all these people who know so much. Tweets in 140 characters or less, Facebook posts and Blogs. Newspaper articles and television feature segments. Many refer to themselves as experts, some promising miracle cures that used to only be found on late night TV. It’s hard to discern the ones who are real from the impostors.

I’ve no doubt that many really do know what they say they do and just as many have the experience to back it. But I also know there are just as many spinning tales and  trying to convince you that they know more than you do.

Sometimes they succeed. Sometimes they have persuaded you that maybe you don’t know all that much.

But what do you know? 
When was the last time you took a personal assessment?

I’d forgotten all I knew about sales and marketing. After 25 years I knew I was good at it. I’d enjoyed  a lengthy and successful career, but I had taken for granted just how much I knew. It’s what happens when we spend our days surrounded by people who do the same thing. We take our knowledge, our skills and our expertise for granted.   Especially in today’s corporate environment where accolades from above are few and far between and the  focus is on what you don’t know or should have known.

It wasn’t until I was far enough away that I could look in the rear view mirror and take toll of  all I had stored up in my brain  and what of that had value to me moving forward. That my sales background made the marketing aspect of writing easier. That my teaching and sales management experience was essentially years of coaching expertise. That life itself, if you are paying attention to what is happening affords you insight and intuition that you cannot put a price tag on.

Sometimes you don’t know what you know until you step away from it. And it is only then that you can use it moving forward.

What do you know?
Have you taken a moment to reflect on what it is and its value?
Can you make a list?
How will you use that?


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