Knowledge ≠ Skill and Skill ≠ Performance

Just because we know something doesn’t mean we have the skill to do it.

I can watch videos of Sinner or Alcaraz playing tennis all day long but it won’t make me any better at playing tennis.

To develop my tennis skills, I need to go out on a court and practice.

Same in our workplaces. I can watch others demonstrating various skills – for example:
👉 How to get a meeting with a new customer contact
👉 How to coach someone who is struggling
👉 How to give difficult feedback

But to develop the skill to put this knowledge into action, I would need to practice.

However, even if I practice, this doesn’t mean I will be able to perform the skill to a good standard in real life.

Just ask any footballer about taking penalties. It is very different practising penalties on the training ground to taking them in the context of a match…
…with crowds watching…
…when the pressure is on, and…
…when the result matters.

It is quite literally, a whole different ball game.

Context means everything and too often, we fail to fully prepare people for the real life contexts in which they need to apply their skills.

Real life comes with pressures, consequences, setbacks, uncertainties, competitors etc. etc. So, if we are serious about helping our people perform well in these contexts, we need to do two things:
1️⃣ Give them plenty of opportunity to practice – ideally under the guidance of someone who can observe and give them high quality feedback.
2️⃣ Help them build the mentality to be able to successfully apply their skills in the heat of battle. Then, and only then, will knowledge and skill consistently lead to top level performance.

Get in touch to find out more about how to make this a reality.