How to develop your skills every day
There are experts and then there are experts.
There are those who ask questions and gauge what it is you might like to hear. They offer knowledge, discussion and want to be friends with you.
And then there are those who actually solve your problem.
Our family GP, for one, is someone I have known who diagnoses accurately. I have observed his methods on patients over so many years—he is more of a friend now—and he shares the hallmarks of genuine experts in all fields.
Experience and theory
A combination of loads of experience and a lot of thought. Not one or the other. Both.
Solving a lot and reflecting a lot. Real achievements, real learnings. It cuts across domains.
A couple of days ago, a swarm of bees took over the roof of m homestay in the Nilgiris. They entered the master bedroom. Thishad happened a year ago. And the local ‘experts’ increased my knowledge without solving the problem.
I learnt that fire could smoke out bees. I learnt that a local tribe—the Irulas—were experts and the best bet.
Problem of wooden houses
I learnt that wooden houses faced this problem because of little gaps in the roofing girders.
I learnt that kerosene could work. And a lot else.
But no one did anything concrete. Until our caretaker, while out shopping for groceries , asked a couple of boys to remove the hive. They climbed a ladder, put their spindly hands into crevices and pulled out a hive while being stung on their forearms and faces.
They took a hundred bucks and waltzed away happily.