By Phil Harwood

The highest level of any endeavor is the mastery level. This is where the experts reside, separated from their peers by some combination of education and experience. 

Like most things in life, the best way to learn something - and master it - is to practice, practice, and practice. Looking back on my life, there are plenty of examples of endeavors that required hours and hours of practice: learning how to play the trumpet, learning how to ice skate backwards, and more recently, learning how to correctly answer multiple-choice questions in preparation for the upcoming bar exam. With hundreds of hours of practice, my proficiency increased toward the mastery level. 

The summer before my senior year in high school I set out to improve my slap shot in advance of hockey season in the fall. Without much available ice time, my venue was our family’s garage. Every day, I hit hundreds of slap shots with a weighted stick until my upper body couldn’t bear to take another shot. When hockey season started in the fall, my slap shot had improved 1000% in terms of power and accuracy. 

Years later, while visiting the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, I entered a simulated shoot-out rink with a professional goalie, set the simulation to pro level, and proceeded to score on the goalie with all of my shots. Those hours and hours of practice in my garage developed muscle memory that is still with me today, just like never having to relearn how to ride a bike. 

When it comes to the endeavor of management, the more difficult question is, “What to practice?” How does one know what skills to develop as a manager? After all, management is a multidisciplinary profession. Master-level managers must be proficient in psychology, communication, statistics, financial management, material & logistics management, and more. And they have to be role models and leaders. Where does one go to learn about these things so that they might be put into practice with the goal of someday mastering them? 

Formal education is always an option but that may be the most expensive and time-consuming option. Not everyone has the time and money to devote to formal education. 

A better option for many managers is to sign up with GrowTheBench to gain access to hundreds of short learning modules, packaged into courses, and designed for those who wish to master the art of management. 

If you are not currently a subscriber, shoot me an email at Phil@GrowTheBench.com for a free 30-day trial subscription. If you choose to continue after the 30-day trial period, your team will have 10 seats for only $97 per month. 

Now go forth.