HOW TO TURN KNOWLEDGE INTO A SKILL YOU CAN MARKET
Let
me start this discussion with a quote from Dr. David Oyedepo, one of the most
successful men in the world today, “Knowledge
is not marketable, it is skill that you
market, skill is not a function of the papers you carry, it is
a function of the tactics, and the strategies you engage in handling your assignment.”
It
is important, at this point, to make a distinction between knowledge and skill to
enhance your comprehension of the topic.
Guy
Boulet explains that “Knowledge is
information acquired through sensory input: reading, watching, listening,
touching” and that skill is “the ability
to apply knowledge to specific situations.” In short, knowledge is theoretical and skills
are practical. So, knowledge has to do with learning principles and
concepts or acquiring information on particular subjects, while skills refer to
the actual application or practice of the theory or principles, to produce the
expected results.
The
world is full of very knowledgeable persons in various areas but has limited
skilled persons in virtually all areas of human endeavour. For instance, there
are so many that know so much about soccer, can give detailed descriptions of
the game, the rules, and the players, but it is only the professional players
who have been out there in the field, practically playing the football, that
have gained the skill. Do you know what? These practical footballers,
professional players, are seriously marketing their skill. The same applies to
various other areas of life.
Many
persons, in fact the great majority, are not able to maximize their potential;
they live below expectations, in business, career, financially and otherwise
because they possess just knowledge, not skills. The world has changed
dramatically and the skills needed in today’s world are also changing fast. In
fact, the 21st century is the Age of Skills. To fit in, we must
upgrade our knowledge into skills. Remember, we can sell skills, not knowledge.
How
can you turn your knowledge into a skill you can market?
Ø Do personal skills audit: Appraise
your skills situation, noting which ones you have and which ones you badly
need. This should include both hard
(technical) skills and soft (communication,
time management, etc) skills.
Ø Undertake relevant training: It
is practical training that turns
knowledge into skill. When a person attends a driving school, for instance,
no matter the driving theories and principles he or she is taught in class, it
is the practical training of driving a car, opening the ignition, selecting and
engaging the gear, using the trafficator, turning the steering wheel, throttling,
braking, etc, that will enable the trainee gain skill. That makes skill habitual,
something that has become a part and parcel of us.
Even
raw talents (natural abilities) are not marketable per se. Practical training
sharpens and improves them into skill. A person with talent of singing becomes
an outstanding musician after some practical training. Ecclesiastes 10:10, in
the World English Bible records that,
“If the axe is blunt, and one doesn't sharpen the edge, then he must use more
strength; but skill brings success.”
Ø Constant practice develops and strengthens skills: The
world is very wide and the areas or fields of knowledge are too vast.
Therefore, you must narrow down to certain fields or selected core areas of
your special abilities and endowments, where you will have ample room, to
practice. Athletes, writers, entrepreneurs, and people in various professions,
become experienced and great because they practice constantly.
Even
when you undertake a training, whether formal or informal, ensure that you are
exposed mostly to regular practical, how-you-do
activities, instead of sit-tight what-it-is
lectures, if you must develop and market your skills.
Ø Create new opportunities to engage your
fresh skills: If a trainee undergoes a two-week training
in a driving school, acquires driving skill, and then stays away from driving
for say five years, he or she will lose that skill. You can always create new opportunities that make your skills relevant
and marketable. Your opportunities are limited only by your imagination. Reginald B. Mansell says that, “A
pessimist is one who makes difficulties of his opportunities; an optimist is
one who makes opportunities of his difficulties.”
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