Tom Lemanski's

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A Little Known Acronym

It’s not some institution or association of higher learning. It IS a potential wake-up call for those of us who start believing we have all the answers. I’m sharing it because it can make a difference between gaining knowledge and actually applying it.  Just because you’ve heard an answer doesn’t mean you have the answer.

IKTA

What is I.K.T.A. ?

It’s an acronym that sheds light on a common self-limiting belief.

I
Know
That
Already

That phrase, “I know that already, reflects what we often hear from that little voice in our heads.  When we say this to ourselves it gives us an excuse to stop listening or worse yet, stop seeking to make the input useful.

Why Do We Say this to Ourselves?

It helps us rationalize our decisions to skip over redundancies. We believe that because we heard it, we must know how to use it.  But is that always a valid assumption? (You know what happens when you ASSUME?) And, what does that attitude do to our ability to innovate, develop and improve?

Knowledge Isn't Power

What if Dale Carnegie is correct?   What if the old axiom “Knowledge is Power” is only half true? The IKTA mindset potentially deprives you of the opportunity to put that knowledge to use.

How Dismissive Are You?

How often do you find yourself pushing back when someone shares something you’ve heard before?  When you do, what does that do to your ability to innovate?  What might you start doing that would help others to see you as a more receptive person?  When is it OK to hear potentially valuable insight for a second or third time?

False Assumptions

Do you find yourself using some form of this belief for foster further filtering:

I’ve heard that before.  Therefore, I have it stored for when I need it so now I can move on to find the next NEW thing or shiny object.

How true is this really?   Isn’t Dale Carnegie right?  If you don’t use it, you lose it.