There is an exciting new area of research called Deliberate Practice, which focuses on how experts learn and perfect their skills. There is a lot we can learn from this literature, but here I’ll focus on just one simple idea: If you really want to improve at something, focus on the hardest parts.

We recently spent a day with Don Lerman, a competitive eater who has won world championships for eating hot dogs, hamburgers, matzo balls, chili peppers, and refrigerated sticks of butter. He showed us how he prepares for his events.

What do you think the toughest skill is for a competitive eater—the skill that separates the winners from the rest? Some of the basic skills include ripping the food into bite-sized chunks, dipping the chunks in water to make them easier to swallow, and using both hands to keep the food flowing. But the toughest skill to master is the gag reflex. A true competitor eats right through the dizziness, nausea, and what Don refers to as “the meat sweats.”

While Don practices each of these component skills, he puts special emphasis on mastering his gag reflex. And how does he master it? He eats right to the edge of gagging, then tries to eat through it. He’ll push himself to his limit several times a day every day for about ten weeks prior to a competition. This is deliberate practice.

I kind of like the gag metaphor. What’s the part of a skill or of your job that makes you want to gag? That’s the part where you need to skill up. And consider three kinds of skills: conceptual, behavioral, and emotional. Most tough tasks require a combination of all three, but often one kind of skill is tougher or more important to practice.

For example, what makes swimming tough? Is it concepts, behaviors, or emotions?
     •  Concepts: Read a book on buoyancy or on race strategies.
     •  Behaviors: Practice different strokes in the pool.
     •  Emotions: Overcome your fear of the water, your fear of being seen in a Speedo, or your tendency to choke during big races.

Notice, they are all relevant, but most of us would be helped the most by focusing on the behaviors. The mistakes people make are to practice the things they are already good at and ignore the areas that are blocking their further progress.

Another example. What makes surgery tough? Is it concepts, behaviors, or emotions?
     •  Concepts: How well do you understand the anatomy and the disease process?
     •  Behaviors: How skilled are you with your scalpel, laser, or endoscope?
     •  Emotions: How do you respond to stress, sleeplessness, and pressure? 

Surgeons have it tough. On any given case they could be challenged conceptually, behaviorally, or emotionally. So what do they practice? Often there’s an overemphasis on concepts.

A last example. What makes it tough to hold your teenager accountable? Is it concepts, behaviors, or emotions?
     •  Concepts: Do you have a strategy to follow? If not, I recommend our books Crucial Conversations and Crucial Confrontations. Could you write out a   
        script?
     •  Behaviors: Have you role-played the conversation with your spouse or a friend? Did you get feedback and try to refine your approach?
     •  Emotions: Will you be able to keep your temper under control? Can you keep a loving attitude? How will you practice these aspects of the skill?

Here’s an exercise. Think of an area where you’d like to be more proficient. Then ask yourself what makes this skill tough for you. Is it concepts, behaviors, or emotions? Then look for a way to focus on that toughest part, the part that is limiting your performance today.

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Posted by David Maxfield on December 21, 2007 12:43:00 PM MST #