Permission to learn on the job

--> and to share what you learn

One of the biggest mistakes we make with our newsletters - I believe - is to assume that the only value our readers get is from our expertise and experience.

Because that traps us into only ever sharing ideas and tips in very a limited range of areas.

Your expertise and experience is an importance source, of course. And it’s the source that builds our credibility the most.

But it can also be - well - a bit boring.

Not for your readers so much. But for you.

Because the things we’re the most excited about and the most interested in sharing are the things we’re just learning ourselves.

The things we’ve been doing for decades and told people about a little million times before - not so much.

And the good news is that email lends itself well to sharing new things you’re learning and working on.

If I hire you to work with me, I want you to bring deep expertise and experience. If I watch a 60 minute video or read a book on a topic I want it to go into considerable depth.

But with a quick email, I’m just looking for a little sprinkle of usefulness. A quick tip for me to implement. A new idea for me to think about.

If you just learnt something and you tell me about it and what your take on it is, that’s fine by me. As long as I get a sprinkle of usefulness from it.

If you tried out something new in your work and you tell me how it went and your lessons learned, that’s fine by me. As long as I get a sprinkle of usefulness from it.

Of course, I’m expecting a lot of your sprinkles to come from your core areas of expertise. But it doesn’t have to be everything.

And that means you’re free to tell me about the things you’re interested in. The things you get enthusiastic about. The things you just learned or you’re working on.

One of the biggest causes of writers block is boredom with your own material. Stuff that’s important, but that you’ve shared so many times already in different ways you just don’t get a kick out of it any more.

Once you realise that the ideas you share can be about anything as long as it’s useful, it’s tremendously freeing.

If you write about things that interest you, you’ll never run out of ideas. And your enthusiasm will shine through too.

All it takes is a little bit of bravery to share a “half baked idea” or “something I’m learning myself right now”.

And far from damaging your credibility, being open about where you are with your ideas and where they came from builds trust.

Next time you find youself staring at a blank screen, give yourself permission to write abotu something you’ve just learned. You might be pleasantly surprised about how well it’s received.

- Ian