The challenge with any level of improvement and development is that we make the building blocks and then build with them.
Like building a house, yards, or a fence.
Everything worth doing, that works well and lasts a long time has a strong foundation.
When have you had the best experiences with an innovation or changing something up?
I’ll bet it’s been when you completely understood what you were doing and how you achieved the best results.
And then you worked out the best way to improve that, knowing precisely where the efficiencies were to be gained.
Anecdotally and objectively, we accumulate knowledge of what we do (whatever it might be) and develop an understanding of how we can improve it.
But, if we haven’t mastered the process or element, we can’t fully improve on it.
If we haven’t exploited our current knowledge on the topic, how do we know how we can properly improve on it?
I reckon we have all been caught out trying to take a short cut and come crashing down.
Some that ring a bell for me in my early jackerooing days were setting up portable sheep yards, which I am sure a few of you will relate to.
From that though, I am a lot closer to mastery of it than I was as a ‘wet behind the ears’ jackeroo.
It’s always a timely reminder that mistakes are where we learn the most and working through the process of elimination.
But, it can take a long time, and patience is a virtue not all of us are blessed with.
Mastery is: comprehensive knowledge or skill in a particular subject or activity (Oxford Dictionary).
Mastery doesn’t happen overnight.
There’s many things that I would like to know a lot more about, and people with whose knowledge I would love to acquire, but it takes time.
There would be more than a few people who could save themselves – and their bosses, supervisors or parents - a significant amount of frustration and time to realise and appreciate this for what it is.
I am lucky enough to know quite a few people who I would consider masters in their field (they likely do not) and who I turn to regularly for their advice, guidance and knowledge on their areas of specialty.
Sometimes we have to battle their humility to get into their knowledge bank,
We should all dedicate the time to achieve our own mastery personally and in our businesses, as well as encourage those on their path to mastery.
To those who are on their way to shaking something up, don’t rush, go as fast as you need to, to get where you want to be – it won’t be smooth sailing all the way, but there will be people there to support you.
All of us who will be involved in agriculture tomorrow, are future farmers.