---
title: Herding Racehorses and Racing Sheep
categories:
- work
content-tags:
- business
- mind
- programming
---

[Dave Thomas][1] has a great [presentation][2] (that he somehow seems to enjoy giving despite doubtless hundreds of sessions) on the progression of people from novice to expert.

Great subtitle quote: "People improvement trumps process improvement"

Mostly, this was an application of the [Dreyfus model of skill acquisition?][3].  As Dave so eloquently explains, the model tracks a progression from rule-based to context-based decision making.  Put another way, as we gain experience, we replace recipes with intuition.

At least, most of us do.  Dave referenced a great quote from Kevlin Henley: "20 years experience might be one year repeated 20 times."  His core advice: to remain competitive we must take interest in our work, and take the plunge from being directed to becoming self-driven.  This distinction between the 2nd and 3rd stages (Advanced Beginner and Competent) is a barrier for many people, as crossing it requires taking responsibility for your own actions.  It's the difference between doing what you've been told and making your own decisions.

   [1]: http://blogs.pragprog.com/cgi-bin/pragdave.cgi
   [2]: http://blogs.pragprog.com/cgi-bin/pragdave.cgi/Practices/ValueWorker.rdoc
   [3]: /2005/04/07/dreyfus-model-of-skill-acquisition.html
