Is Experience Overrated?

Now that the presidential campaigns are underway, we can expect to hear a lot on the topic of experience. How much does it really matter when we consider job qualifications?

Here in Illinois, we learned that extolling the virtues of experience can backfire. It was 1976. The democrats slated a gubernatorial candidate with over 20 years of state government experience to run against a young, Republican, US Attorney.

Democrat Michael Howlett (left) was a Chicago Machine backed candidate who had risen through the ranks of state politics to become both State Auditor and Secretary of State. From the beginning of the campaign, the Democrat’s promotions emphasized the contrast between Howlett’s decades of state government experience with the fact that Jim Thompson had none. Case closed? Far from it. For all his experience, Mr. Howlett could not hold a candle to his opponent as an orator. Whenever the democratic hopeful spoke, some wondered how people ever got their license plates on time.

The Game Changing Question

Mr. Thompson put his experience as an accomplished prosecutor to use. He crafted his response to the experience challenge by asking a simple, cutting question…

Ask yourself: Does he have 25 years of experience, or one year of experience 25 times?  – James R. Thompson

Game, set, match! In the minds of the voters, perceived competency outweighed two decades of showing up for work.

Real (Estate) Proof

The Thompson Center in downtown Chicago (left) now serves as a monument to Jim Thompson’s election victory and subsequent successful reign as Governor. State government monuments to Republicans in Chicago are very rare.

The late Mr. Howlett took the loss and all of his “experience” to the private sector. We can thank him for reminding us that people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

I do not offer this story to predict that charisma will prevail over experience in November. Instead, I suggest that Jim Thompson gave us all something to consider about our own level of experience and soft skills. So, ask yourself…

What have you done to avoid having your experience challenged in similar fashion?

What should you be doing in the near future?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how do you rate your communication skills? Are they an asset or liability?

As you continue to become both more experienced and more skilled as a communicator, might someone name a big, glass house after you?

Photo Credits: Wikipedia