Business Round Table
Failing forward or how we gain knowledge
by Cheryl Baumgartner Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
Cheryl Baumgartner 
Medical...
This post was moved to this group from 2.0Okay thoughts on knowledge. All knowledge is not the same. There is learned knowledge or book learning and activity knowledge or practical experience. This was one of the things covered in a training I recently attended. The analogy for this training was riding a bicycle.Now first there's learned knowledge. You can read every book created on bicycles. You can study the physics of balance. You can read everything in the world on pedals and handle bars and you will be knowledgeable. You'll be able to answer all the questions on biking anyone can ask but do you know how to ride a bike? On paper yes but what if someone put a bike in front of you?Here's where activity knowledge comes in. You already have all the knowledge in the world on balance so you get on that bike start pedaling, the bike leans to the left you fall and skin your knee. You are starting to get a little practical knowledge. This is also when most people quit. Because they fell off they decide that they can't ride a bike. But it doesn't stop there because these people who cannot ride a bike will turn to the next person and tell them that it can't be done simply because they did not accomplish it.But some people get back on that bike, and they start pedaling. This time when the bike leans to the left, they know what is going to happen so they lean the other way, Now you have a skinned right knee to match the left one. And more people will quit at this point, and these folks are even more convinced that riding a bike is impossible than the ones with one skinned knee. After all they put more time into it and it still didn't work.However there are still the stubborn die hards who get back on the bike and they start pedaling. The have two sore skinned knees so they don't want to fall left or right. And thet wobble along catching themselves each time they start to lean until suddenly they realize that they are not wobbling anymore. They are travelling straight and smooth. The majority are still standing there claiming that riding a bike is impossible and yet the die hard is doing it. They difference is that the die hard was willing to keep getting back on the bike until he got it right. He was willing to fail forward. He was willing to fall off the bike then get back on but each time he fell he learned a lesson. Each of those lessons made him better until he got the hang of it.And so it is with business. You will have failures, but each failure is a lesson. You have to pick yourself up and get back on the bike, this time knowing if I fall off and skin my knee it will hurt. You will learn how to avoid the falls even if you do wobble for a while but that wobble will go away. Most people start a business and have a failure but instead of picking themselves up and trying again they simply decide it doesn't work. They are not willing to fail to move forward
Oct 18th 2010 09:30
Medical...This post was moved to this group from 2.0Okay thoughts on knowledge. All knowledge is not the same. There is learned knowledge or book learning and activity knowledge or practical experience. This was one of the things covered in a training I recently attended. The analogy for this training was riding a bicycle.Now first there's learned knowledge. You can read every book created on bicycles. You can study the physics of balance. You can read everything in the world on pedals and handle bars and you will be knowledgeable. You'll be able to answer all the questions on biking anyone can ask but do you know how to ride a bike? On paper yes but what if someone put a bike in front of you?Here's where activity knowledge comes in. You already have all the knowledge in the world on balance so you get on that bike start pedaling, the bike leans to the left you fall and skin your knee. You are starting to get a little practical knowledge. This is also when most people quit. Because they fell off they decide that they can't ride a bike. But it doesn't stop there because these people who cannot ride a bike will turn to the next person and tell them that it can't be done simply because they did not accomplish it.But some people get back on that bike, and they start pedaling. This time when the bike leans to the left, they know what is going to happen so they lean the other way, Now you have a skinned right knee to match the left one. And more people will quit at this point, and these folks are even more convinced that riding a bike is impossible than the ones with one skinned knee. After all they put more time into it and it still didn't work.However there are still the stubborn die hards who get back on the bike and they start pedaling. The have two sore skinned knees so they don't want to fall left or right. And thet wobble along catching themselves each time they start to lean until suddenly they realize that they are not wobbling anymore. They are travelling straight and smooth. The majority are still standing there claiming that riding a bike is impossible and yet the die hard is doing it. They difference is that the die hard was willing to keep getting back on the bike until he got it right. He was willing to fail forward. He was willing to fall off the bike then get back on but each time he fell he learned a lesson. Each of those lessons made him better until he got the hang of it.And so it is with business. You will have failures, but each failure is a lesson. You have to pick yourself up and get back on the bike, this time knowing if I fall off and skin my knee it will hurt. You will learn how to avoid the falls even if you do wobble for a while but that wobble will go away. Most people start a business and have a failure but instead of picking themselves up and trying again they simply decide it doesn't work. They are not willing to fail to move forward
Oct 18th 2010 09:30
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Comments
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceThat is true too some just jump on Oct 18th 2010 09:46 |
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Warren Day
 Excellent reminder Cheryl This is something I learned doing direct sales, you will hear No more than Yes. I never met someone who closed over 50% or in sports like Baseball, you will miss more than hit. It's not how many times you get knocked down, It's how many times you get back up Oct 18th 2010 09:48 |
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Philippe Moisan
 Tutorial videos, sci-fi writerWonderful analogy, Cheryl. I would add that, if the bike you use is too rusty, falls apart, has no breaks, or flat tires, or somebody tells you it won the Tour de France, if you feel the bike won't give you the results you want, i.e. a pleasure ride or getting back in shape or both, you better listen to your inner common sense and start looking for another bike. :) Oct 18th 2010 10:03 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceYes Phillipe, sometimes it does take trading in the old bike for a new one. Just don't give up on learning to ride. Oct 18th 2010 10:15 |
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Dawie Bezuidenhout
Systems Engineer I.T.@Cheryl, once again a great Post. This can be applied in all aspects of life, the "theory" alone is not enough, together with practical knowledge will can succeed. @Philippe, I like that one. The rusted bike especially, they just give it a new coat of paint over the rust, to present it to you as something shiny and new, you buy the bike just too realize a couple of weeks down the line it is rusted when the paint starts to peel. That is what most programs online is, a rusted bike with a new coat of paint. Oct 18th 2010 10:17 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceSo true Dawie! Same scam different day! I've been seeing it for the last 3 years. Oct 18th 2010 10:20 |
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Cheryl Baumgartner
Medical Billing/Coding/InsuranceAnd the theory vs practical knowledge thing? Doctors go through several stages of 'practical' training before they can stand on their own. Intern, resident etc. because we all know reading a textbook is not enough. Oct 18th 2010 10:25 |
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Philippe Moisan
Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer@Dawie, we complete each other :) hadn't thought of the new paint to hide the rust. @pplcheryl63, I just realized, you've destroyed my illusions of becoming that great self-help hero just by reading the best success books. :) Oct 18th 2010 10:28 |
A very good article Sheryl! But to remain in this figure of bike speech, many climb on the bike without reading a single rule fe. about traffic rules. Before or after the climbed the bike and crashed with it.
Oct 18th 2010 09:43