We have been deluged recently with books and articles extolling the need to practice, practice, practice. Now, don’t get me wrong- I, too, understand the need for honing one’s craft. But, I am sick and tired of folks neglecting the need to recognize talent.
I assure you that I could practice for 5 or even 10 hours a day to run a race- be it a marathon or a 60 yard dash. And, no matter how hard I practiced, there is no way I would beat Haile Gebrselassie or Usain Bolt. And, I won’t be replacing Chase Utley (of my beloved Phillies) at second base any time soon, either.
So, why is it folks expect they can outperform creative types in business just by working hard(er)? Or, routinely develop better products than those with creative, innate intelligence? Oh, I know that you will quote me Malcolm Gladwell’s statement that IQ doesn’t make a difference, because practicing for 10,000 hours will make you best. Or, that Geoff Colvin, who does recognize that IQ is a good predictor for solving or performing unfamiliar tasks, believes that once on the job for a while, it has no bearing. (Of course, that assumes that you only solve the same problems over and over again, doesn’t it?)
Well, my beliefs turn out to be the correct ones. Drs. Lubinski and Benbow (Vanderbilt, TN) studied 2188 mathematically precocious youth, who scored in the top 1% of the SAT test by the time they were age 13. (The SAT, at least back then, before all the changes, was closely linked to IQ capabilities.) Of these, they further examined various cohorts- those that scored in the 99.1 percentile and those in the 99.9 percentile. That sounds like a fairly miniscule difference between the groups, right? Well, the profoundly gifted (99.9 percentile) were 3 to 5 times more likely to have an patent or publication compared to the 99.1 percentile, some three decades later. (They were 18 times more likely to have an earned Ph.D.!)
Of course, this difference may only apply when one is “well above average”. And, I’ll grant you that possibility. But, let’s not forget there’s the effect of working memory (Cerebrations post on “watzizface”), which is probably one of the core components that determines intellectual capacity for many fields. And, that for tasks that require talent- problem solving, creativity, music- it turns out that there is no substitute for talent.
Drs. Hambrick (Michigan State) and Meinz (Southern Illinois) tested pianists and their ability to perform various musical tasks. While they recognize that practice is critical to augment knowledge and skill, it will never completely replace basic ability and capabilities (which may be heritable). The 57 pianists they studied ranged in practice time from 260 to more than 30,000 hours; they were tested for their ability to play a certain piece of music on sight. The researchers found that practice could account for not quite half of the differences between the performances. But, their working memory capacity accounted for more of the success. It could explain how many notes ahead one could consider as they played the piece for the first time.
So, practice. Consider scenarios. But, when building your teams for success, make sure you add those with talent and innate ability. They will help insure your ultimate success.
I love Chase Utley too 🙂 Are you from the area?
I’ve always wondered about this. I mean just how much does training and practice have an effect on a given behavior or natural skill. Thanks for sharing your views, my brain is really working now.
Ileane recently posted..5 Top Christmas Gadgets On Every Bloggers Wish List
No, I’ve never lived in Philly, Ileane, but have been a Philly Phan since 1964.
Glad you liked the piece! Thanks for visiting and commenting.
Roy
This is very interesting research but the bottom line is that the majority of people are NOT profoundly gifted. I worked in a school for the gifted many years ago and found that gifted children often have a harder time adusting to social environments and have problems coping with emotional challenges.
I am a piano player and I don’t think I am gifted. My performance is a result of practice. I would much rather have people who have a strong work ethic on my team than people with talent and innate ability.
Janette Fuller recently posted..Book Review: Get A Good Tree or Die Trying; A Christmas Story
Janette:
I doubt they are mutually exclusive. Everyone on my teams have strong work ethics – and strong personal ethics. But, for most of the work with which we are involved, a devotion to duty will not be able to satisfy the demands of the work. We need talent, creativity, and a very large working memory.
For our manufacturing efforts- where things ARE repetitive, then I can agree with you. But, when developing new and novel medical devices, drugs, financial instruments, and the like, we need to expand the boundaries of the situation.
Roy
Astute observations again, Roy. I agree. Though I had a passion for gymnastics and did well in it, it did not take a genius to see early on this would not be my sport no matter how hard I practiced. I’m 5′ 8″ tall and had my full grown legs by the time I was ten. From a physics standpoint, that is a lot of leg and body to manage and NOT the prime musculature of a competitive athlete in this sport. I enjoyed it and got a lot of skills from the experience but that would never be enough to excel in the sport at a world level. The journey to mastery through practice is an extraordinary experience but embarking on the path without considering all factors falls into wishful thinking. Parents, especially, of children pursuing goals beyond the “normal” range of after school activities often need a dose of reality as very few are truly proteges yet often they are pushed as if they are. Bottom line ~ know your strengths, share your gifts.
Tambre Leighn/coaching by tambre recently posted..Beauty & Beyond
Perfectly stated, Tambre!
Roy
P.S. I’m glad you had fully grown legs- they come in handy 🙂
Without a natural talent, who can enjoy something. And while talent is often compensated by passion, unless you love something you will see no reason to practice and anyone who makes you practice will be resented and then you have another problem. Interesting studies behind your statement.
Now lets stop paying millions to prove that American talent should be determined by other than reality television.
Roberta recently posted..Taking up challenges gets you out of stuck
Oh, I don’t know about that, Roberta. I lack “natural talent” for tennis and baseball. But, I love playing them. I may have some talent for guitar, pinochle and bridge- so I’ll leave them off this list.
Many of us enjoy things even if we are not good at them. My ex swore she loved needlepoint and crochet (at least, the costs accumulated)- and they made perfect gifts for the homeless.
I’m all for your second paragraph- the reality shows are the kind of reality that are probably sponsored by the NRA to promote gun use.
Roy
I believe in the saying that “practice makes perfect” but it certainly helps if you have talent to begin with. This is (as always) an interesting observation. No doubt researchers will explore it further. My son took the SAT two weeks ago so now I’m even more eager to find out how he did. 🙂
Lisa Kanarek recently posted..The Advantages of Hiring Help
Lisa:
I just burst out laughing!
The good news is that the SAT no longer measures the same materials as they did 40 years ago. The bad news is that is just as wrenching a feeling as it was then, too!
Roy
Practice, without some natural ability, is a waste of time. Natural ability, without practice, is a waste of talent.
I’ve said over and over that not everyone is meant to be an entrepreneur and, as a small business coach, that can be a big deal. It’s a good thing though. If we didn’t all do what we were most good at doing, we’d all simply do one thing, that which produced the greatest results. That’s not what makes the world go round.
Nicole Bandes recently posted..How to Be Happy Dealing with Other People at the Holidays
Nicole- that is a WONDERFUL first line!!!!
I love, love, love, it!
Thanks for your fantastic comments and improvements to the discussion.
Roy
Recognizing one’s talent is the way to building a strong successful team. So I agree with you Roy. I think we practice to make ourselves feel better because we are working towards our own goals. Practice to take a test, practice to remember words to a song, practice to start and grow a business! Always enjoy your insight, knowledge and advice Roy.
Lynn Brown recently posted..Are You the Go-To Guy or Gal on Your Blog’s About Page
Lynn-
Thanks for your comment.
I think Nicole Bandes had a great addition, that matches your sentiment.
Practice, without some natural ability, is a waste of time. Natural ability, without practice, is a waste of talent.
Roy