“Perpetual Intermediate” – Always Be Learning

Posted July 14th, 2010

I was reading a book About Face by Allen Cooper. Mr. Cooper is an expert on user interface design. He said that people are either beginners, experts, or perpetual intermediates as interface users. I wondered how that might apply in realms other than usability.

When a new employee goes to work for a pipeline company, that person is a beginner or “fresh” as a leader of the Beijing Oil and Gas Control Center said. After basic training lasting up to one year, a pipeline controller can do the necessary tasks. But is that person an intermediate? It would take a number of years to be considered an expert, right? In a 30 year career, could a controller become an intermediate in 10 years and an expert in 20?

The most intriguing idea is that of being a perpetual intermediate. There are people who appear to never learn from experience. They may have years on a job, and never gain much proficiency.   I have been in classes where the instructor asked each person how many years of experience each had.  Those years were totaled and the total years were emphasized to show how much the class “knew.”  We were there to learn something new, and our total years of experience was not very relevant.

I have 44 years of experience in the pipeline industry – laborer, welder helper, pipe fitter, instrument fitter, carpenter, concrete finisher, utility, operator a, senior operator, chief operator, operating supervisor, operations manager, operational excellence manager, human factors and organizational consultant.  At this point, I am a beginner in all those jobs listed first.

I don’t think I’m a beginner, but how does one become an expert?   People in the industry tell me I’m an expert in human factors for pipeline operations.  That may be because they don’t know me well.  I feel more like the perpetual intermediate, since I am constantly learning more about human performance.  To me, the key to becoming an expert is to always be learning.  Do not become satisfied or complacent.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 14th, 2010 at 10:39 am and is filed under Human Factors, Leadership.