The beginners are naïve, the experts are rigid. Combine them both for great results.
Newcomers to any field, be it digital technology, arts and politics would definitely possess less knowledge about the domain. As such, they are bound to make more ‘mistakes’. At the same time, however, their limited knowledge is also an advantage. Because they don’t know the ‘rules to the game’, they are more likely to venture into unchartered waters and discover something new.
The experts in a field, on the other hand, would typically have a lower margin of error in their judgements. On the flip side, they are less likely to experiment. The ‘principles’ are already engrained in their mental models in such a way that it makes it harder for them to consider other explanations of how things work.
Separately, they each have their pitfalls and their strengths. Combined however, they can utilise the best of their own qualities while having the other as their safeguard.
How can this work?
Typically, the older generation experts would hold decision-making power in their domain. Their word goes farther. Thus, firstly, the experts need to endorse newcomers in their ventures and pursuits. They should be active in identifying newcomers that are breaking new grounds or are showing potential that they are about to.
Now, the openness should be reciprocated. These young blood innovators must be open to criticism and advice from the experts, while applying their own filtering lens. The experts have gone through their own trials and thus have wisdom to offer. An analogy would be that the experts share maps with the newcomer but shouldn’t necessarily dictate where the young explorers should venture to.
In both instances, there is the need to restrain the ego.
Guards should be put up by both parties to prevent thoughts like
“They have too little experience to achieve anything useful?”
or,
“What do they know? The world has changed since their time.”
When you experts and newcomers acknowledge their own shortcomings and recognise the other’s unique strength, there can be much more progress in the pursuit.
