This past weekend’s Michigan State vs. Michigan game had one of the wildest conclusions in recent years in college football. With Michigan winning and simply needing to execute a punt with 10 seconds left to win the game. the punter dropped the snap and instead of falling on it, tried to pick it up. The ball landed in the waiting arms of a Michigan State player who raced into the end zone as time expired for the unlikely Michigan State win.
In the aftermath, fans around the country sitting on their couches (and commenting on Twitter) exclaimed, “All he has to do is fall on the ball and the game is over!” Easy for us to say. My guess is the majority of the “experts” (including those in the media) have never punted a ball in a college football game, nor been in a situation like the Michigan punter trying to make a play in a split second. In all transparency, I voiced my displeasure on a dropped pass by a Washington Husky player in the end zone later that evening in our game. My last live action football came in junior high.
Just like athletes in all sports are susceptible to “coaching advice” from journalists and fans on social media and sports talk radio, business professionals are just as vulnerable to getting “suggestions” from others on how to be better at what they do. I often think of highly trained and educated nurses in hospitals that are constantly barraged by their “customers” on how to do their job!
Getting coaching advice, mentoring, and sometimes well-intentioned tips from those that are not experts in your field is not in your best interest. Listen to those you choose to help you; those who have been where you want to be; those that have experience and knowledge you want. We fans are quick to say what should have happened after the fact, but rarely have the perspicacity or skill to have done it ourselves. Don’t allow those that want to provide unsolicited advise to derail your business and career. Be careful of whom you listen to.
This week’s quote –
“Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.”
