Three Bodies of Knowledge
It has been at least seven years since I last met Wayne in person. Seven years of time washed away many sandy grinds between us and left only sparkling gold.
I could not help to thank Wayne for one of my most important career paradigm shifts. Without his advice, I could not grow from a first line manager to a director. Wayne looked at me with his signature smile, “Let me tell you my version of the story .” My heart was racing; did I remember our meeting total differently?
Wayne was an architect at a large software company 20 years ago. He once talked to a Sr. VP and his mentor at this large company.
His mentor said:
“Wayne, there are three bodies of knowledge for each person:
1. The knowledge you are aware of, and you know it very well and apply it in your life daily
2. The knowledge that you are aware of, but you don’t know it well because you have no interest, desire or capability to acquire it
3. The knowledge that you are not aware of, you never knew such knowledge existed. You will go through an important career breakthrough when you become aware of such knowledge and start to learn and apply them to your daily life”
Newly found knowledge liberates your thinking and provides you with a new frame of reference. You will enter a new paradigm where you will find new interpretations about relationships and events based on this new frame of reference.
The journey to maturity is to discover the 3rd body of knowledge continuously. We are expert in the first body of the knowledge. We make conscientious decisions not to pursue the 2nd body of knowledge when we become aware of our interests and limitations. We have to be secure and open-minded to uncover the 3rd body of knowledge.
Being secure and open-minded is easy to say but not easy to do. At the beginning of our career, we desperately try to prove ourselves to our senior leaders. We lose opportunities to have a paradigm shift conversation like the one between Wayne and his Sr. VP.
Next time, when you have an opportunity, listen and learn instead of trying to sell yourself to the Sr. leaders in your organization. Practice your newly found knowledge and you will be led to a new path that takes your breath away.
Elizabeth Xu
I could not help to thank Wayne for one of my most important career paradigm shifts. Without his advice, I could not grow from a first line manager to a director. Wayne looked at me with his signature smile, “Let me tell you my version of the story .” My heart was racing; did I remember our meeting total differently?
Wayne was an architect at a large software company 20 years ago. He once talked to a Sr. VP and his mentor at this large company.
His mentor said:
“Wayne, there are three bodies of knowledge for each person:
1. The knowledge you are aware of, and you know it very well and apply it in your life daily
2. The knowledge that you are aware of, but you don’t know it well because you have no interest, desire or capability to acquire it
3. The knowledge that you are not aware of, you never knew such knowledge existed. You will go through an important career breakthrough when you become aware of such knowledge and start to learn and apply them to your daily life”
Newly found knowledge liberates your thinking and provides you with a new frame of reference. You will enter a new paradigm where you will find new interpretations about relationships and events based on this new frame of reference.
The journey to maturity is to discover the 3rd body of knowledge continuously. We are expert in the first body of the knowledge. We make conscientious decisions not to pursue the 2nd body of knowledge when we become aware of our interests and limitations. We have to be secure and open-minded to uncover the 3rd body of knowledge.
Being secure and open-minded is easy to say but not easy to do. At the beginning of our career, we desperately try to prove ourselves to our senior leaders. We lose opportunities to have a paradigm shift conversation like the one between Wayne and his Sr. VP.
Next time, when you have an opportunity, listen and learn instead of trying to sell yourself to the Sr. leaders in your organization. Practice your newly found knowledge and you will be led to a new path that takes your breath away.
Elizabeth Xu
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