We often say that practice builds ability, so college students eagerly join social activities and new employees want to take on more important tasks. After years of effort, some become sales directors while others remain frontline salespeople. Why is there such a gap between people who have worked the same amount of time and had similar experiences? These frontline salespeople also have rich experiences and have done various jobs, but why haven't these helped their career development?

Here is an easily overlooked issue: Some people have merely gone through experiences; they have "gone through" but not "gained experience." In the workplace, employers value "experience," meaning you have gone through something and gained value from it, such as developing problem awareness, good work habits, and reflective ability. "Going through" merely means you did something at a certain time.

An example can help us understand the difference between "going through" and "experience."

Your team receives a project: In November, lead more than 300 elementary school students from a school to a theater in a park about 20 kilometers away to watch an ice art performance, from 2 PM to 5 PM on a Friday afternoon. If you are the person in charge, what preparations would you make to ensure the event goes smoothly?

【A】 I can think of making a budget, communicating with the school, theater, and bus company, and then assigning one volunteer per class on site to maintain order and guide the flow.

【B】 I have organized events before; this is not too difficult. It's just a matter of considering three parts: before, during, and after the event. For the before part, from confirming the performance time to the students entering the venue, I would first confirm with the school's event coordinator, negotiate entry and exit times and on-site precautions with the theater, confirm the number of buses and prices with the bus company, and then make a budget. Then I would divide the team: one person dedicated to liaising with the bus company, one person to go to the school to assist teachers with the students, and I would take other volunteers to the theater in advance to prepare...

【C】 That's not enough. To ensure no mistakes in each link: First, create two task lists to send to both parties, with checkpoints for each step. Second, divide responsibilities by line, with each person in charge having the phone numbers of all project team members, parents, class teachers, and bus drivers. One person is dedicated to liaising with the bus team and goes to the school to help teachers emphasize precautions, clarify each teacher's specific tasks for the day, check student attendance, and distribute motion sickness pills; another person goes to the venue in advance to ensure parking spaces are empty, the student assembly point is not occupied, theater staff are ready, and restrooms and emergency exits are functional. Third, each line leader should have a contingency fund in advance. Fourth, each line leader reports progress at key checkpoints... As the person in charge, I always know what my team is doing, where they are, whether the theater event is normal, etc. All key points are on my task list.

【D】 Wait, there are some critical details I'm still not clear about. For example, can I visit the theater a few days before the event? How to park, how to enter and exit, how to use the restrooms, how many emergency exits are there, and are there any precautions the other party hasn't mentioned? What is the temperature at the ice show? If the seats are not tiered, should the lower grades sit in front? How can I be confident without checking these details?

With over 300 people entering a venue, we need to consider carefully! I must know the total number, gender, and class sizes in advance.

First, the entry time issue. How many stalls are in the men's and women's restrooms? How many people can use them at once? How long does it take to enter after using the restroom? Only after seeing the venue can I calculate how long it takes for 300+ people to enter, and then I know the best time to arrive at the theater!

Second, transportation is also an issue. It's Friday, so are there traffic jams on the route? Should we prepare some snacks and water for each bus in case of delays?

Third, how long is the time between students sitting down and the show starting? If it's too long, should I arrange a volunteer with experience interacting with children to lead some games that don't require leaving seats? Otherwise, 300+ people getting bored and restless would be bad.

...

If time permits and I clarify all these, I can prepare a "Field Trip Management Manual" before the event, and I'll be at ease that day. In the future, our club can train more experienced people in such activities.

Question: Among the four, who do you think you are most like?

If your answer is A, unfortunately, you are the novice I mentioned who has only "gone through" without gaining "experience."

If your answer is B, you are a decent executor.

If your answer is C, I can responsibly say you are exactly the person that many sales supervisors, marketing specialists, project managers, and similar positions are looking for!

If your answer is D, as a project manager, I can't help but ask: Are you interested in meeting for a chat? I have a job opening.

When you first enter the workplace, you often don't have the chance to take on major tasks; you just do odd jobs. But when faced with seemingly simple tasks, have you really done them well enough? In fact, any task can be managed as a project. Any work task is composed of details, and mastering the details is the beginning of doing work brilliantly.

Doing things in a professional way is more important than doing professional things. When you can't help complaining that you have rich experience but others don't appreciate it, and that you have ambitions but can't realize them, remind yourself: Am I aiming too high and achieving too little? Do I have the habit of observing and reflecting? Can I see details in things that others find simple? Do I actively learn from more experienced people? Do I think from a higher perspective on every task?

This is why some people become experts in a field in three to five years, while others can't find a new job even after ten years!

Let's go back to the earlier example. How do you think you could do even better?

Source: Buma Marketing People

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