If you’re knowledgeable, does that mean you’re also skilled? I was browsing through my The Daily Drucker: 366 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done, and noticed the topic for May 6 titled, “Knowledge Does Not Eliminate Skill, Knowledge without skill is unproductive.” This made me think about knowledge versus skill.

Using Peter Drucker’s example of a surgeon preparing for an operation, the surgeon will spend hours diagnosing (knowledge) the problem, before performing the actual surgery (skill). Drucker argued that knowledge didn’t eliminate skill; it was the foundation for skill and only becomes productive because of skill.

What’s the Difference between Knowledge and Skill?
In my previous work in product management and product marketing, I could understand the business case analysis for building a new product. I understood why the return on investment or cost/benefit analysis was structured the way it is; however, until I could actually perform this skill–the business case analysis and its ROI and cost/benefit formulas–did my knowledge become productive. I’ll take it another step further, I was comfortable (or advanced) with performing the skill of a business case analysis, but until I can start thinking creatively or applying it (through knowledge) to other business situations.

From a sport perspective, in basketball once you master doing a lay-up with the left and right hands (skill), in game situations you’ll find that you’ll be able to do right or left lay-ups without thinking (knowledge) as you respond to opportunities you seize. In a situation where a defensive person is fouling you, you’re knowledge in how to take advantage of this opportunity combined with the skill to do the lay-up, allows you to continue to make the lay-up regardless of the distraction.

Why Should You Care? To be Exceptional and be Challenged
As knowledge workers, we are Thinking for a Living. But the only way to be productive in all that thinking is to have the arsenal of skills that allow you to not only be productive, but also creative and proactive to situations that arise. Skills are usually distributed into four categories: strategy, administrative/planning, analytic, and social/creative. While we may favor certain categories (my favorites are strategy and planning, I made an effort to dive into analytical skills like business case analyses knowing that I would one day need it. I’ve never been content to know just enough, I want to continue to learn new things so I can stay challenged in work and life for that matter.

Smart Lemming Tip
My advice is to follow Peter Drucker’s action item:

“Outline the skills required in your work. Analyze and refine these skills for optimum quality and productivity.”

My additional advice: identify those skills that others in your work may not have and make it your own (if it’s of great interest). Who knows, it may be your next “thing,” the skill that coworkers and boss seek out.

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