Really Knowing

When do you really know something? Is it when you can recite it on demand? Must you further be able to manipulate it to help you make decisions, chart courses of action? Or, must you actually understand it?

There are distinct differences between all three of these levels of knowledge possession. In particular, it is useful – important – to not mistake the second for the third.

But let’s start with the first. Have you ever consulted with someone who seemed to have an impressive grasp of the general nature of your business, but could never come to grips with your particular problem? This is the memorizer. This person has only a tenuous possession of the information, a superficially theoretical understanding that, while internally coherent, cannot be meaningfully applied to issues encountered in the real world, or used to comprehend them.

Read the rest of Jim Stroup at Managing Leadership.