NOVEL SOLUTIONS
Thinking Like a Rookie
SHANNON WETZEL, SENIOR EDITOR I
f you have been working at the same job or department for more than 10 years, you might be considered an expert at what you
do. But could that veteran experience be a detri- ment? In her book, “Rookie Smarts,” author Liz Wiseman extols the virtues the inexperienced can bring to a project with several compelling argu- ments and case studies. Rookies aren’t full of new ideas, Wiseman points out, they come to a job with absolutely no knowledge and no ideas. Because of this, they go into hyper drive collecting information and net- working with multiple experts to catch them up to speed. T ey aren’t burdened with past experi- ence that may have created a rut in typical project management, and they don’t assume they have the right answer. Without built-in assumptions, rookies can and have ignited innovative products, methods and principles. But before you begin worrying about the
entry-level employee stealing your job, try harnessing some of that rookie power yourself. Wiseman’s book doesn’t focus only on young professionals. Most of her examples are of seasoned veterans who put themselves in new situations or projects that forced them to think like a rookie. Wiseman then shares ways to use certain benefi cial rookie traits in areas in which you already feel well experienced. “T e next time you are faced with a challenge that falls within your area of expertise, avoid the temptation to jump in,” she writes. “Instead, reach out to at least fi ve other experts with your questions, thus bringing in new expertise to bear on the challenge at hand. Ask the experts and keep asking until you fi nd new patterns.” In an industry that’s been around for centuries, with many existing metalcasting facilities that have been around for decades, opinions, obser- vations and solutions to problems can become routine. For executives, managers and engineers who are seeking ways to keep their jobs and the industry fresh, thinking like a rookie could help. “Like pioneers, rookies build paths through
new territory every day, whereas veterans tend to stay where it is comfortable and settle in,” Wiseman writes. What new territory could the metalcast- ing industry discover and claim with a rookie mindset?
42 | MODERN CASTING December 2014 ABRIDGED
Relevance to Metalcasters Technical Diffi culty Self-Help Fluff Profi t Booster
“Eff ective leadership is less like holding a leash and more like holding the strings of a kite.”
Metalcasters’ Translation: Individuals new to your company, a department or the industry
in general can bring value to your organization when management gives them responsibility for a project with the freedom to complete the project in their own way.
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