Coding without a Computer

Trying to improve our leadership, communication or influence skills on-our-own, without other people, is like trying to learn coding without a computer. 

We practise our R, Python, or other programming skills by:

• writing lines of code, 
• seeing what happens, 
• searching for bugs and googling or asking more senior practitioners, 

OVER AND OVER again.

Practical exercises, and capstone projects all help. 

Similarly, for 'soft' skills involving humans, we need to learn by doing i.e. practising in different circumstances and evolving our style based on the feedback we get. Our interaction with others is what allows us to see what works FOR US and them. And, actively reflecting as we learn, including with the help of a professional guide, is invaluable. 

In my experience, consultants are generally better at these skills, often because they've been exposed to a variety of situations, projects and people, giving them many more opportunities to observe, reflect and practise, including from early in their careers. Almost like a 'soft' skills bootcamp! 

One memorable analogy someone from the Isle of Man shared with me in a recent conversation: It's like "reading a book on Kung Fu and then going to a fight"!

What other analogies come to mind that could help to visualise this?